By Eduardo Zermeno in College Days, Student Life on February 17, 2024
BSU executive, Jamar Thomas, details the exciting, upcoming events that BSU will be hosting for Black History Month
Black Student Union (BSU) is an alliance group where Black students on campus come together to discuss matters of everyday life
Jamar Thomas, a junior on the BSU executive board, detailed what BSU stands for on campus.
“BSU is a place where students of color can feel safe and included and find belonging on campus. We talk about all different types of issues surrounding the black community on campus and in our world today,” he said.
Thomas also detailed what it means to him to be a Black student on campus and as an executive on the BSU board.
“For me, it’s really important to create an environment in BSU where everyone can keep their Black heritage alive no matter where they live. I love to be present at every event so that other black students can feel welcome no matter where they come from,” he said.
Not a student of color? Do not fret: Thomas and BSU invite people of all backgrounds.
“At BSU, we’re very sensitive of everyone’s ethnicities, gender, backgrounds, race, and any other possibility. We love to have a diverse group at BSU that can come together and learn about Black culture. No matter who you are, come join us at BSU,” he said.
BSU Members at a meeting last year. Left to right: Juniors; Kiki Sherman, Jamar Thomas, Adrian Baquera, Seniors; Tamyra Patrick, Ji’Mya Sullivan-Owens; and Tamia Harris. Photo Courtesy of Jamar Thomas.
BSU has weekly meetings every Tuesday from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in room B12 in SAO, led by the executive directors of BSU. Meetings this semester will be geared toward understanding and discussing African-American relations in the community.
This month is also Black History Month and Thomas wants everyone on campus to know about the events that BSU will be hosting.
“I get really excited for Black History Month because everyone on the executive board put in a great deal of effort to make every event entertaining. Our goal is to make our presence known on campus and make everyone’s experience with BSU the best possible,” Thomas said.
“This month, we’ve already hosted our African Inspired Art night and our Hair Care Fair. We love to educate people about the different types of hair types. Lots of people think that all hair is the same, but just as no two people are the same, no two hairstyles are the same,” he said.
“Our hair care events are always really popular and the hair products we provide always run out because everyone loves to learn about their hair and care for it properly,” he said.
If you missed the first couple of events during Black History Month, don’t worry, there are still more events to come this month.
“We still have African Cuisine Night, Soul Food Sunday, Black Movie Night, and Quilt Making Night. Make sure to come to all the events because they’re huge hits and you don’t want to miss out,” he said.
Thomas also detailed one more special guest that BSU will be hosting.
“We’re bringing in an artist based out of Milwaukee by the name of Emmitt James. He’s a rapper who incorporates a jazz flow into his music. He’s an unorthodox rapper but he a great flow and rhyme,” he said.
This will be a free concert.
African Cuisine Night will be held Saturday, Feb. 17 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Terrace in Bovay. A variety of African dishes will be offered for free.
Emmitt James will perform Tuesday, Feb. 20 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Spot. He is a rapper with jazz influence and flow.
Soul Food Sunday will be held Sunday, Feb. 25 in The Terrace in Bovay. The time is yet to be decided; watch for details of this event.
The previous Soul Food Sunday Event. From left to right: Tamia Harris, Tamyra Patrick, Jamar Thomas, Kiki Sherman, Eugene Hinton, and Ji’Mya Sullivan-Owens. Photo Courtesy of Jamar Thomas.
Quilt Making will be held Monday, Feb. 26 in CDI. The time will be posted soon.
Black Movie Night will be on Thursday, February 29th at 8 pm. The venue has not been decided yet so look out for news from BSU.
Follow @ripon.bsu on Instagram as it’s the best way to keep up with all the news and upcoming events. Send an email to [email protected] to be added to the email chain and stay posted with meetings and any other relevant information.