Since the 1960s, the Black student union has been a cornerstone of the college experience for Black students, striving to unify Black students on college campuses.
These organizations emerged in the 1960s to combat racial discrimination and have since addressed issues such as police brutality and campus safety for students of color.
Student involvement can be important and rewarding, contributing to a college student’s sense of belonging on campus and their academic persistence.
Many students report that involvement in student clubs and organizations gives them a sense of purpose, allowing them to meet new people and build essential leadership skills.
What Is a Black Student Union?
In 1966, the first Black student union was founded at San Francisco State University.
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Shortly after, Black student unions were established at other campuses across the nation.
The students wanted more Black studies programs, more Black faculty and staff at universities, and spaces on campus that celebrated and acknowledged Black culture.
This movement represented a significant shift in changing the landscape of higher education.
Why Are Black Student Unions Important?
The logistics of Black student unions may differ between colleges.
However, their most important mission is to unify Black people on campuses by offering a diverse array of cultural, informational, social, and academic events targeted to Black students.
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“I joined the Black Student Union to gain a sense of belonging on my college campus,” said Marcos Martinez, a current student at Binghamton University and former member of the Black Student Union.
“Binghamton University is a predominantly white institution, and there is a very small number of students of color on the campus. I’m able to adapt to any environment, but I still wanted to connect with peers who understood my cultural background.”
As colleges confront their racist legacies and anti-black histories on campus, Black student unions honor and celebrate Black culture.
They also help to provide students with the knowledge and resources needed to combat racial hostility on campus.
Additionally, these organizations can have a positive impact on a student’s identity development and academic success.
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They also provide Black students with a supportive community.
At predominantly white colleges, many Black students feel they lack access and exposure to Black curriculum and Black faculty and staff.
They may also face difficulties in connecting with peers who have dissimilar cultural experiences.
Black student unions can give students a safe refuge and provide cultural affirmation. These students can bond together over a shared cultural identity and campus experience.
The Evolution of Black Student Unions
Black student unions played an important role in combating racial discrimination in the 1960s and 1970s and addressing political disenfranchisement on and off campus.
These organizations were an important resource for student activism at predominately white institutions.
Staff, faculty, and students would utilize these spaces for organizing, developing activist agendas, and combating racial discrimination.
Currently, on many college campuses, Black student unions have moved from being an activist or political organization to more of a social organization.
Popular television shows and movies like”Grown-ish” and “Dear White People” often portray Black student unions as popular and exclusive social clubs for Black students.
While activism may still be an important aspect of these organizations, their emphasis on creating and supporting peer culture and/or peer socialization has become more of a central focus.
Activism Within Black Student Unions
With increased national publicity on the killings of Black and brown people over the last several years, racial injustice has become increasingly important to college students.
Black student unions across the nation are taking a more active role in speaking out against police brutality.
They have also brought students together to protest for reforms on college campuses, including increasing campus diversity and hiring more Black faculty and staff.
Black student unions have also taken key roles off campus, organizing food and clothing drives and other services within their local communities.
For many Black and brown students, 2020 was an especially difficult year with the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor.
Many Black student unions strategized on how to raise awareness about police brutality and demanded more safety and protections for Black students on campus.
Many colleges, including Keystone College and Tulane University, released statements of solidarity in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and condemned acts of police violence on Black and brown communities.
The Future of Black Student Unions
The success of Black student unions is dependent on continued campus support.
University leadership needs to actively involve and engage Black students in important decisions that have an impact on campus life.
College leaders must also remain committed to supporting diversity cluster hires, diverse curriculum, and ethnic studies programs.
Also, increased funding to these organizations and scholarship opportunities for Black students are needed.
“Colleges and universities can do more to support by staying invested in the needs of this particular student population for the most informed decision-making,” said Darlene Jackson, a creative industry liaison and diversity programmer for the Black Student Union at Columbia College Chicago.
“Not often enough are the marginalized groups brought to the table when decisions are made that may affect them the most.”
The impact of Black student unions on our college campuses is undeniable, and they will continue to play an enormous role in improving the college experience for students of color.
Student Civil Rights Activism: Crash Course Black American History #37
African American College Alliance: A Legacy of Cultural Pride
Before Phat Farm, FUBU, Rocawear or any of the other iconic urban fashion wear brands, there was an iconic mark that was embraced by the Hip-Hop world, with a sense of cultural pride.
The black “positive patch” of the African American College Alliance, with its distinctive gold embroidering, united Historically Black Colleges and allowed them to transcend regions to become national symbols of excellence.
The AACA patch adorned sweatshirts, hats and other apparel that prominently featured the logos of venerable universities like Howard, Morehouse, Grambling, Malcolm X, Jackson State and so many others.
The pairing of the AACA brand with the world’s culture creators was no accident.
The strategy was the product of the hard work, imagination and brute force of a young Howard University alum, Chris Latimer, who was the liaison between the company and the entertainment world.
He grew the company from $600,000 in revenue to $6,000,000 in his first 6 months and, in the next few years, turned it into one of the most powerful brands in fashion.
For every dollar that he generated for the company, roughly 10% went back to the universities whose trademarks were being represented.
At the height of the company’s popularity, due to circumstances beyond Latimer’s control, AACA went out of business.
Now, nearly 20 years later, he is returning to take the reins of the company himself, and re-launch the brand that inspired millions.
At a time when violence in communities like Chicago is surging, the nation’s first African-American president is under siege, and it actually has to be asserted that Black Lives Matter, the need for a brand with such cultural significance has never been greater.
