For Shanté Morgan all roads lead to effective communication across all cultural and gender lines. That’s why she has spent nearly 30 years either as a writer, editor or educator—creating opportunities to share information.
She is currently an instructor at California State University, Channel Islands teaching communication and critical thinking and a PhD student in Cultural Studies at Claremont Graduate University. She has worked as managing editor of digital publications at California State University, Northridge. Before joining academe, she worked as a journalist, reporting on issues ranging from Hollywood typecasting to urban sprawl.
She is the founder/owner of Morgan Communications. She is the former editor of Turning Point magazine and worked as a reporter at several publications including Copley News Service, the Daily News and the Pasadena Star-News. She has also taught journalism at California State University, Northridge and California Lutheran University.
Ms. Morgan has a master’s degree from the USC Annenberg School of Journalism. She graduated in 1990 from California State University, Northridge (CSUN) with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and Afro-American Studies.
In 2015, Gov. Jerry Brown appointed her as the first African-American member of the 31st District Agricultural Association, Ventura County Fair Board of Directors. She is founding president of the CSUN Black Alumni Association, which she helped charter in 2011.
She is a longtime advocate for women and girls.
She is the first African-American woman to chair the Ventura County Commission for Women. She served as co-chair of the commission’s study on the Status of Women and Girls, the first comprehensive examination of this constituency in the county’s history. She served as an appointee to the Ventura County Women’s Economic Roundtable, a countywide group focused on empowerment and hosted Ventura County's first conference for girls.
Ms. Morgan is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the largest African-American sorority in the nation, including serving as a member of the National Information and Communications Committee, Farwest Regional Journalist and president of the Ventura County Alumnae Chapter. She is also a member of Simi Valley AAUW, Ventura County branch of NAACP and the Ventura County Women’s Political Council.
She recently co-founded the Concerned Parents of Black Children of Moorpark to address concerns about bias and microaggressions.
She has received numerous awards both professionally and for her civic involvement including Cal State Channel Islands African American Achievement Awards, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District VII Award of Excellence for CSUN’s external publication, the California Newspaper Publishers Association Award, the James S. Copley Ring of Truth Award, Simi Valley Community Council Award, Xi Kappa Omega Chapter of AKA Legacy Award and the CSUN Volunteer Service Award.
She has two children and is a resident of Moorpark, Calif.