A conversation of race, family, empowerment with the BSU women
Texas A&M University Kingsville’s (TAMUK) Black Student Union (BSU) continues its fight to empower the black community throughout Black History Month.
The BSU is an organization that promotes black unity and success and focuses on building alliances on campus in order to showcase black excellence and accomplishments.
“Being that this is a predominantly Hispanic university, personally for me, the BSU was one of the biggest attractions because it was an opportunity to meet more people like myself,” Social Media Coordinator and Recruitment Officer Kwanae Brown said.
Being that this is Black History Month, the university is dedicated to recognizing and commemorating groups of students on campus in order to celebrate unity and the achievements of those who came before them.
“Black History Month is a time where we truly celebrate black excellence, acknowledge the struggles we came from and how it has made us who we are today. It is a time to understand one another and a time to uplift each other and our peers every day to show that we are resilient and we will continue to be successful,” BSU President Kamryn Ware said.
For its members, the BSU provides a sense of family, belonging, familiarity and a place to call home. They provide an opportunity for students to have a voice and know that they are heard and seen.
“I felt like I was going to be alone on campus because I was from a place four hours away, but when I came to preview day the BSU made it seem like it was a family and that’s what it truly was. That’s when I decided to join, on preview day,” Ware said.
The BSU strives to be inclusive and to collaborate with not just organizations here on campus, but by building more alliances with other BSU groups at nearby universities in order to leave a good foundation for future members.
The members of the BSU advocate for change and by doing so, dive into deep conversations about race, role-models and what black excellence means to them.
“My inspiration is Mary Jackson. She was an aerospace engineer and because I’m a mechanical engineering major that just inspires me because it shows what we can do regardless of race. It gives me more motivation,” Vice-President Autumn Robinson said.
Robinson believes schools should teach more African American history tailored to the achievements that have been made. She also discusses the importance of continuing to speak on the topic of race because there are still issues with the police system and feels it’s important to educate people on what goes on to this day.
“To engage as an ally, just be there and be present. Be willing to listen. Not only listen, but be able to have empathy and compassion for what your fellow peers have to say and how they feel,” Brown said.
Brown discusses the importance of not hiding history in itself.
“History has the tendency to repeat itself especially if it is not acknowledged. It’s crazy that we still have accomplishments of saying ‘the first black…’ in 2022. It shows that we are just as capable of doing things that everyone else is,” Brown said.
The BSU wants to build a community on campus to allow voices of all members and allies to be heard in a safe space.
“To recognize is to not limit black creators to one month because there’s so many of us and we cannot give every person the acknowledgement they deserve in 28 to 29 days, it’s not possible,” Ware said.
The BSU welcomes new members. The organization is for any student who wants to uplift and promote their black peers and black excellence.
For more information, or to contact the organization visit @tamuk.bsu on Instagram
