Black Student Union Director, Shayla Richardson and members regularly attend and table for the open houses, orientations, club bashes and caucuses every week.
They have been more involved with Black History Month, helping to bring in speakers to talk about social justice, the black community and higher education.
The members of the BSU and many other students on campus are also participating in the “Flash Back Flash Mob.” Jameshia Brown who has been a member of the BSU explained that the BSU has people dress up in costume or wear the name tag of an African American historian, leader, inventor or role model. BSU members will be providing information about who they are dressing as to inform their peers and professors of these historical and relevant figures.
Brown and other members of the BSU thought of the event during a BSU meeting when discussing fun, creative and educational events for the month of celebration. “I thought of a small idea to reenact a few historian then other members snowballed off of that to get more people on board and have more people aware,” said Brown about the process of planning the event.” She also stated that the program and members connected with various other programs or departments and created flyer to spread the word for the Flash Back Flash Mob.
“Not a lot of people now about African Americans other than slavery and segregation and there’s a lot more than just that,” said Brown on the topic. While there has already been a rise in conversations and self-awareness regarding black history and important figures, there still seems to be a noticeable struggle in remembering the importance of leaders other than Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks
The Black Student Union tries to focus on education regarding the rich and powerful history that so many do not seem to be aware of. To get more involved, students can go to the BSU office in Student Programs.