The University of California, Riverside (UCR) is home to a variety of cultural clubs. Everything from dance and music to safe spaces for communities, students will have no trouble finding somewhere to fit in. One of these clubs is the Black Student Union (BSU) and it is one of UCR’s oldest and longest-standing clubs.
As explained by President Kennedi Rawls, the BSU was founded in 1968 by 60 students in order to create space for Black students on campus. Naila Ezekiel, the Director of Communications, explained, “I know especially after […] the Black House here at UCR was burned down, they just wanted to cultivate more spaces and rebuild the community even stronger after that event.”
For those who may not know, the Black House had been the original meeting space for the BSU, located where the Stonehaven Apartments now sit, and had been a space for community for Black students. Devastatingly, it was burned down in 1972 (“Still Rising: Celebrating 50 Years of African Student Programs”). Since then, the BSU helped establish the African Student Programs, the cultural center for Black students on campus, and it continues to be a stable pillar in the community.
The BSU strives to ensure that their meetings keep a pulse on current events, tailoring the topics to provide their members with the information they need. “College is a very serious environment,” Ezekiel mentioned. “Sometimes you still want to have these important conversations, but in a social way without having to be […] as professional, but still being able to connect with your communities and have these conversations.”
In previous meetings, they have covered topics like Black mental health and fashion in Black history. Most recently, their meetings have covered voting. With the midterm election primaries coming up, the BSU has been encouraging Black students to vote, to register to vote and has been educating students on what will be on the ballot. Later this quarter, they will be collaborating with the Black Student Affairs Team as part of their voting series.
The BSU works hard to keep the environment of their meetings open and uplifting. “We want our students to feel welcomed, and it’s not just for Black students,” Rawls acknowledged. “Of course, it’s a space catered towards Black students, but we want everybody that comes into our space to feel welcome.”
The BSU hosts several events throughout the year, such as their tie-dye event on May 8th at African Student Programs. Students brought bags, t-shirts or any other type of fabric and learned how to tie-dye them. Their events are a great way to get to know new people and forge stronger community bonds. Be sure to check some out!
One of their largest events is the BSU’s annual Black People Meet that occurs every fall quarter. Mainly aimed towards incoming Black freshmen, Black People Meet provides a space for Black identifying organizations to table and perform. It allows Black students to network with each other and establish a community.
Damilola Onikeku, a leadership intern for the BSU, expressed his excitement at seeing the turnout for each event. “Seeing more people come, new faces and returning faces, I think that really is something that is fulfilling to me.”
In the upcoming years, the BSU wants to expand their presence on campus. Onikeku wants to push their name further out into the Black student population. “The way that [people are] like, ‘We’ll go to [an] ASP [event],’ it’s like ‘Let’s go to the BSU event.’ Like that.”
Ezekiel agrees, wanting to go even further than just the Black community and “[collaborate] and [incorporate] our org with other orgs on the campus.”
According to Rawls, one of their goals next year is to bring back their own or establish a section within ASP’s newsletter. This would be another avenue for students to learn more about and sign up for the organization.
The BSU provides a warm and inviting space for people to foster community. Through that community they are able to keep their pulse on what concerns or questions Black students may have and tailor their meetings to provide more security and understanding for them.
