And Still I Rise: The Legacy of the Black Student Union

A synopsis of my time with the BSU at UW Seattle.

Black Student Union Officer Photo On Suzallo Library Steps

Overview:

In my second year as an undergraduate student I served as the Vice President of Communications for the University of Washington Black Student Union. This played a crucial role in my adult leadership development. This social justice oriented organization rooted in historical change, on campus and within local communities, taught me a lot about myself and my influence to make a difference. In addition to hosting weekly meetings, social events, and fundraisers we partnered with other Black organizations on campus to focus on how to continue our legacy in mentorship, activism, and fostering a community on campus for black students to find communion.

Personal Importance of Work:

When I first stepped into a BSU meeting, I felt overwhelmed. I had never been in a room full of so many black students. Nonetheless, I wanted to be a part of this community because I knew the work we would accomplish was greater than any of us as individuals. During my first year on campus I struggled mentally bringing myself to integrate and practice vulnerability in BSU. Eventually, I pushed myself to apply to be an emcee at their annual Legacy Soiree; an awards ceremony and scholarship endowment fundraiser for the seattle black community. After successfully emceeing the event, I was encouraged by incumbent officers to run for office and that is how I became the Vice President of Communication during my second year.

Tasks Accomplished:

• Communicate with Partners

  • Maintain relationships with other black organizations on campus and within the greater Seattle community.

• Emcee Legacy Soiree

  • Hosted a three hour dinner awards ceremony and fundraiser for our scholarship endowment.

• Weekly Newsletter

  • Compiled resources and information to create a weekly newsletter sent out to 100+ community members

• Weekly Meetings

  • Hosted weekly meetings leading conversations in social justice and equity focused work for 40+ members.

• Membership Recruitment

  • Table recruitment around campus including popular spaces such as red square, the HUB, and the Samuel E Kelly ECC.

• Fundraising

  • Small events like chipotle fundraisers, and large events such as our legacy soiree.

• Social Media Management

  • Instagram content creation and delivery

  • Facebook event creation and delivery

• Hold multiple roles in Office

  • VP of Communications

  • President

Leadership Competencies Gained:

#1 Empowerment

The Black Student Union prides itself on being a place for all black students to find communion. A place where students can come together in solidarity after dealing with the issues that come with attending a predominantly white institution. We uphold and uplift one another in our shared space.

#2 Collaboration

BSU acts as an umbrella organization in collaboration with other black organizations on campus. This list includes AfricaNow, the National Panhellenic Council, National Association of Black Business Students, African Student Association, Sisterhood, R.E.T.R.O. and more. We partner with these organizations to host all sorts of events.

#3 Social Responsibility

BSU is founded on the basis of establishing a cohesive union amongst black students, staff and faculty, and the greater UW community. We exist to enhance cultural and political awareness, sponsor social events and provide support for the students and community. To ensure this happens we host a variety of events and sponsor more. We actively engage in our local communities through volunteerism and mentorship with local partner high school BSUs.

#4 Power Dynamics

As a registered student organization we are limited in scope with what we can do without the consent of others. This has proven true in the spaces we occupy on campus, the types of events we are contractually allowed to host, and the policies we aim to push forward. Being apart of this organization taught me how to work in different settings, come to agreements with different authoritative figures and how to fight for what I believe is right.

#5 Creating Change

BSU is an activist organization. We aim to inspire the students who follow in our footsteps to envision the future they want and see that it comes to fruition. This is why we created the Legacy Endowed Fund to sustain our scholarship for incoming and current UW students. We recognize that sometimes the only thing that stands between us and reaching our goals is access to resources. We want to eliminate that challenge by relieving the burden of economic disparities for our students.

#6 Mission

Being apart of the Black Student Union, we established meetings and events that support our mission: to establish a cohesive union between Black students, Black faculty, other Black organizations and the greater UW community. BSU exists to enhance cultural and political awareness, sponsor social events and provide support for the students and the community.

#7 Vision

As an organization that stands to bring cohesion between the Black members of the UW community our vision is to see unity amongst the different black organizations on campus. This vision helps us to construct our programs and to set goals for our organization.

#8 Goals

Our goals for this organization were to foster a since of community and belonging on campus for all black students to overcome any potential feelings of inferiority and imposter syndrome being on a predominantly white campus. We do this by setting daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals about the topics we hope to dive into and the environments we hope to create.

Lessons Learned and Future Oriented Statement

Being a board member in the Black Student Union has taught me how to navigate complex structures. I’ve learned the issues surrounding systemic change and I’ve learned how tiresome fighting the good fight can be. I have also learned so much about empowering others through mentorship with our local high school community partners. My greatest takeaway from my time with BSU is to prioritize balance in my life including balance in my world of mental health and well-being. I’ve learned how to work on a team and highlight ehs strengths of my team to help us reach our group goals. I’ll take what I have learned about this and networking with community partners into whatever work I do in the future to help the middle school students I work with in their dreams of making a difference within their communities.