Inform. Educate. Inspire. According to the four co-presidents of the Storm King Black Student Union (BSU), these are the organization’s goals as they collaborate with the school community for Black History Month.
“It’s important to celebrate Black History Month as a community because Black history is an essential part of American history. Black culture and Black excellence have contributed so much to our country, so it is imperative for all of us to understand. We must come together to celebrate Black accomplishments and achievements, not only as a school, but as a family because they have potentially influenced so much of what we know life to be today,” explained BSU co-president and senior Shayla Lawrence.
To achieve this, Shayla and her fellow co-presidents Justice Pessoa, Jedianne Graham, and Dominique Gooden have been leading efforts to bring meaningful activities to their peers that share diverse aspects of Black culture and heritage through art, writing, music, and film.
For example, the BSU has partnered with the Student Life Office on weekly movie nights. “Movie Nights are regularly shown as a weekend activity for boarding students. This month, we suggested that all the movies be related to Black history, Black excellence, and Black culture,” explained Shayla. “We thought this was a good way to engage all students in celebrating Black History Month in an informative and entertaining way outside of the classroom. Students have been voting for new movies like Black Panther, The Hate You Give, and Selma every week, and it’s been going great!”
Another exciting project the BSU is working on is the upcoming Black History Performance– a student-led video compilation of presentations, music, poetry, and art done by those who wish to express themselves for Black History Month. “The Black History Performance was a Thursday-night event last year and we wanted to continue this tradition of celebration for us, and for future Storm King BSU members,” continued Shayla. BSU members and other students have been working on their individual contributions to the video which will be released virtually to the community later this semester.
“Through this video, our hope is for people to see and understand what Black excellence means to us, and how it has inspired us as students who wish to implement change in this world. Our main goal is always to inform, educate, and inspire and that’s what we want to achieve with this project,” continued Shayla. Other Black History Month activities coordinated by the BSU include a special Black History lunch menu, a Dress in Black Day, and participation in several virtual discussions about Black empowerment and social justice with SKS alumni.
In addition, the club is working to organize a series of classroom discussions that will take place through the rest of the school year. “These class discussions will give students a chance to learn from different perspectives and from each other as we talk about today’s issues of racism and social justice. The plan is to have each grade meet on Zoom with their class dean, a National Honor Society member, and a BSU member to moderate the discussion. Making sure that everyone remains respectful to each other’s point of view will be very important. This project is something the BSU is very excited to be putting forward and we hope everyone will use it as a learning opportunity,” continued Shayla.
As Black History Month continues, many thanks go out to the BSU and their faculty advisor Mrs. Van Dunk, and to all the students, faculty, and staff who have helped SKS celebrate Black history and culture this year. Also, special thanks to senior Kylie Marshall for designing the BSU’s new emblem. Please stay tuned for this year’s upcoming Black History Performance video, and much more to come from the Storm King BSU!
