骄傲与权力
The Black Student Union Celebrates 50 Years at Utica College
1966年秋天, a group of 20 black students came together to form United Students at Utica College. Its mission: “to inform both black and white students of the Negro in this society and, 希望, promote more humanitarian attitudes toward the Negro in America.”
在两年的时间里, the group grew and became more visible on campus while developing a progressive list of demands: install a lecture series for prominent black speakers, 开设有关黑人历史和成就的课程, 在校园建立黑人文化中心, and make a more concerted effort to recruit minority students, 举几个例子.
“在过去三年里, several black students have left Utica College because the educational system has been grossly delinquent in responding to the modern needs of the minority students,他们的提议是这样开始的.
虽然一些要求得到了满足, 其他人则被大学管理部门忽视了, prompting six students representing the newly named Black Students Union to stage a historic sit-in in a campus computer lab. Because of their efforts, an agreement was finally reached with then-president Dr. J. 肯尼斯·多纳休.
那是1969年5月.
现在, 50年后, the Utica College Black Student Union is one of the most visible and most active organizations on campus. 自1969年以来, its members have gone on to achieve 个人 and career success, and many of them returned to UC in October to celebrate the milestone during homecoming weekend.
We spoke with four former BSU presidents to learn how their experience in the organization has impacted their lives—and is impacting them still.
Jonathan Adewumi, 86年
“1981年,我以大一新生的身份加入了波士顿州立大学. I was elected president in 1983 and served for two terms. 当时, the biggest issue for minority students at UC was that our organizations were not funded on par with the white organizations. The BSU was an umbrella organization that was comprised of students in black fraternities and sororities, 黑人学生运动员, the gospel choir and the rest of the black student population. The Black Student Union provided us with a vehicle to discuss issues that affected us as students on the campus and to proffer solutions. We conducted fundraising programs to meet budget shortfalls, and it also allowed us to have a united voice on the campus.
There were many memorable events from my time with the BSU, from sit-ins in Strebel protesting a cut in minority programming on WPNR, 在BSU房间举办节日派对, 到筹款活动. 那是一段美妙的时光. Dear to me, though, was going to area prisons with the gospel choir to minister to the incarcerated.
Being president of the BSU made me sensitive to the needs of my peers and the struggle each person was going through to meet their goals. That experience helped later in life when I was chairman of a 250-member Black Merchants Association. The ability to listen to my members’ needs and develop solutions to individual and community problems had its roots at Utica College. 即使是现在, I carry those lessons as president of a non-profit organization for Nigerian descendants living in the United States, 欧洲, and Canada that tries to alleviate the economic and educational challenges of our people back in Nigeria.
Today, I live in Brooklyn, 纽约, and have been an entrepreneur most of my adult life. I've had the opportunity to partner with my brothers to own a clothing manufacturing company, 尼日利亚面料和时装, 一本电脑杂志 PC World非洲最近的一次是Amarachi餐厅. I'm a single parent of an amazing 24-year-old son who is currently enrolled in an MBA program at Montclair State University."
安东尼·贝尔德,91年
“从1987年到1989年,我作为BSU成员参与其中, and in the spring of 1989, 我被鼓励去竞选总统. I was elected and served as president until my graduation in 1991.
When I first arrived at UC in the late 1980s, I thought the campus was pretty cool. 我觉得我和人们相处得很好, and I didn't think there was more to campus life than just trying to adjust as a new student. But as I paid attention to the kinds of activities and programs that were being organized and delivered to the community by the BSU, I learned quickly that the role of the BSU president was to get students of color acclimated to life on a predominantly white college campus. 黑人学生, we helped create a community of people that look like you, 认同你, and share common experiences with you; to me, 这是在校园生存的方法之一.
作为黑人学生会主席, I was responsible for changing the tenor by getting more students of color involved on campus, 促进更多的多样性, 与行政部门合作, and working with black alumni to be more engaged with UC.
然而, when the BSU received letters from some racist people who threatened our lives, 我们的安全, 以及我们在校园里的幸福生活, it prompted a radical move for the BSU to be better organized and to create change on the campus. We demanded more 包容 and tolerance for people of color, 黑人, 以及散居海外的非洲人 (African, Hispanic-Latino, African-American, Asian, and Native American). I believe that moment left an indelible mark in my mind and in my heart around issues of leadership, 多样性, 包容, 指导, 坚持和决心.
I have since gone on to serve over 26 years in higher education administration, and I believe that career path was a result of the work I did while I was a UC student and leader of the BSU. Because of the relationships I forged with my peers, 教师, 以及危机时期的管理者, 我觉得自己被赋予了力量, 大胆, and capable of making a greater impact on any college campus I were to step on. I went on to earn terminal degrees in the field of higher education leadership.
I am currently retired from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. I have two adult children; my son has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and is currently working for General Dynamics Electric Boat in Connecticut, and my daughter has her master's degree from the New School in Manhattan. 她正在建立自己的管理事业.
I have been busy expanding my educational, 个人, and professional coaching enterprise. I am building a career and professional readiness curriculum online platform in hopes to distribute throughout the nation and the world.
我也在写一本书, and the central theme is that your success is always under construction, that you are the architect of said success and that you must build a strong education, 个人, 专业基础, 这样你才能发挥你的才能, 能力, 礼物, 以及帮助解决问题的技能. It is a message to college-age students and new entrants in to the workforce who are trying to figure out how to make sense of who they are in relation to what they want to do for a career and a servant leader."
帕特里夏·戈德曼,17岁
"When I’m became the president of the BSU in 2015, I didn’t have a blueprint. 我以前从未管理过一个组织. At the first meeting, there were about six students. That’s when it hit me: This is my culture, and this isn’t something I can let die out. It was important that our voices were heard and our culture was respected every single day on campus, 每一件事, 论坛, 和会议. Through perseverance and the help of a few dedicated members, 第二年,我们有了27个成员.
The lessons I’ve learned from my time in the BSU are priceless. 从处理事件, 详细规划, 议程, and getting the student body interested in what you have to say, 致各方, 和寒冷的夜晚, I’ve gained a lot of experience with staying calm in stressful situations.
I thought I was working on myself by finding my voice in a place where most of the people around me don’t look like me, 但事实证明,这只是一生的练习.
我很高兴地说,我找到了社区, 友谊, 信心, public speaking skills and my voice through the BSU. I’m proud to mentor and witness the next generation of BSU, as well.
我来自哈莱姆区, 纽约, but I currently live in Utica working in financial aid at Mohawk Valley 社区 College. From the organizational skills to the communication skills, I’ve applied all of the lessons I learned as president of BSU in my professional and day-to-day life."
Alexia Colacicco ' 19
"I had several goals for the BSU when I became president in 2018. 我想让我们玩得开心, 教育我们周围的人, 为我们的信仰挺身而出, and for others to gain knowledge and/or perspective through our events on campus. 在更私人的层面上, I wanted the BSU to be a safe place for students of color to talk about racial tension and injustices that happen on our campus and the real world. 整体, I want BSU members to be educational and social contributors to campus, but also a family for those who decide to be a part of it.
We had a great Black History Month in 2019 with many educational and social events (共16场,几乎每天一场), and ended it with one of our annual events, “Amateur Night at the Apollo.”
Honestly, I saw my greatest accomplishments as president in my members. 当我看到我的成员在成长, 学习的东西, 变得更积极, 举办活动, 贡献活动创意, 这让我感觉很好. 我喜欢看到人们走出他们的舒适区, 做一些他们通常不会做的事情, or just contribute to an event or something they’re passionate about. BSU wouldn’t be as successful without the contributions the members provide.
我不担心波士顿州立大学的未来. I think BSU has always had strong minded and determined people involved. 我们已经做了50年了! 此外,BSU将永远是必要的. 尤其是在一个以白人为主的机构里, where people may not have the same perspectives on things, or may not even know another point of view on the situation."
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