Faces of BSU
April 4, 2019
For this piece, I have chosen to photograph different people in the Black Student Union to show how people in the club behave out in the halls and around their friends. In this series, I have chosen photographs of Arley Johnson(‘20), Nyasia Arrington(‘20), Drayden Tee(‘19), Christian Kirkland(‘23), Geno Esler(‘19), Ahmaad Fulton(‘23), Xander McCall(19’), Nyeema Caldwell(‘20), Masai Pines-Elliott(‘21) and Sophie Saint-Cyr(‘23).
My personal favorite is the one of my dear friend, Nyeema. In the photo, I have captured her radiant smile while blurring out the background and focusing primarily on her. Her smile truly shows the joy and happiness BSU brings to us. In all of the photos, I wanted to show how serious we are about the work that we do in and out of the club, and how at the same time we can balance our school work with BSU work. These photos should show you how comfortable we are around each other and how our safe our space is.
Faculty and leaders, guide the students how to properly handle problematic issues throughout the school. We are taught how to confront conflicting issues, while approaching them in a civilized manner. Along with doing justice work, we organize fundraisers to help keep the club going such as organizing bake sales, panels and dances.
Our goal is to foster a safe environment where all people of color can feel comfortable sharing their stories and to use the most powerful tool we have: our voices. We wish to create awareness around the whole school to prevent issues of social injustice from occurring. We strive for excellence whether it be in academics, sports or in social activities. BSU began in the late 1960s and early 1970s when people of color were facing serious inequality. BSUs and Black social institutions around the world confronted issues of racial discrimination and lack of access to resources such as schools and the basic need for healthcare. Our club often discusses the history of Black Student Unions and we see how far we’ve come and how much farther we have to go.
