Student Organization Spotlight with the Black Student Union
The Black Student Union at Chatham University is dedicated to empowering students of color by promoting cultural awareness, leadership, and service. It also provides an essential community for Black students— just ask Kaitlin Marcus and Ashanti Lopez, BSU officers who found fellowship and direction in the student organization’s mission. In their interview below, we get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to plan cross-campus events, and see the impact a student org like the BSU can have.
Why did you join the Black Student Union?
Ashanti Lopez:
Ashanti Lopez
She/Her
Major: Psychology & Criminology
When I came onto campus, it was unfortunately during COVID. Because so, it was difficult for me to connect with students and make those connections. It was even harder while being at a PWI [predominantly white school]. During a student engagement fair, I met the former President and Vice President of BSU who invited me to their meetings. Being in BSU has been a huge game changer for me. It gave me an opportunity to be comfortable with my identities, make friends, get out of my comfort zone, and made me feel like I belonged at Chatham. I went from being a member, to secretary, to treasure, then vice president, and finally, President of BSU for the past year. As time went on, I found myself becoming more of a behind-the-scenes advocate and enjoying setting up meetings with organizations off and on campus. No matter how cliché is sounds, BSU helped me find a happy place on campus and helped me find my passion. I would love to extend that opportunity to other Black students on campus, whether it is something as simple as setting up a study group to taking a trip to Washington and participating in a march for racial justice.
Kaitlin Marcus:
My name is Kaitlin Marcus and I am the Vice President of the Black Student Union. When I came to Chatham, I knew a very limited amount of friends from my culture. During my freshman year, I participated in The RISE program at Chatham, which aims to build community and friendships to develop people of color. By joining this program, I was welcomed into the BSU by previous students of Chatham. The Black Student Union is dedicated to the education and empowerment of students of color while promoting cultural awareness, leadership, and service. As I have become more involved in this organization, I strive for students to have a positive experience by connecting themselves with the Black student population, and to have a safe space for our members to be themselves, like a family.
Tell us about Spirit Week and the decisions behind theming each day
Ashanti:
This is the first time BSU has done a spirit week. In the past BSU has done celebrations to celebrate BHM [Black History Month], but it has been a while. For our spirit week, we wanted something that will get all students engaged in not only the fun and social aspects of BHM, but also the educational aspects of it. For the prompts, we did some research and took some inspirations from other universities and Chatham’s previous BSU events. We wanted the students to feel comfortable and proud of their heritage. For instance, for cultural background day on February 9th, we encouraged Black students to wear something that represents their culture. That could be anywhere from Dashiki to showing off their sneaker collection. The spirit week allowed them to explore and embrace their culture while also connecting with the Black community.
What was the inspiration behind the collaborative vendor fair?
Kaitlin:
In addition to developing Spirit week, our goal was the same for the collaborative vendor fair held on February 13th. Although it was a very thorough process, our goal was to recognize and appreciate black-owned businesses and vendors around Pittsburgh for supporting their entrepreneurial endeavors. The result of this was endless! We had vendors from a variety of categories such as beauty, health, wellness, food, education, and fine arts. It was a little bit of everything for everyone! I am very excited to see the turnout of the vendors and to discover a business I never knew of. We would like to personally thank everyone who made this possible through Student Engagement, faculty, students, and other members of BSU who were able to make this month possible.
Kaitlin Marcus
she/her
Major: Elementary Education
Ashanti:
With it being Black History Month, we wanted to not only celebrate the history and beauty of our culture, but also extend the invitation to other communities in Pittsburgh. Also, what better way to celebrate BHM than to give back to the community. For instance, we reached out to RoyallyFit and PanthroFitness for students who are interested or study in Health and Wellness. Ujamaa Collective and BLAQK House Collections for students interested or studying arts and the cultural and historical aspects. To Self With Love, Naptural Beauty Supply, and Glam Boss Beauty for students who are looking for someone who specializes in different hair textures and darker skin complexions.
We wanted to represent a diverse range of businesses not only to present a diverse array of options, but also get Black students more connected with a community outside of the PWI or the predominately white community and businesses we are surrounded by. I am most excited to see everyone coming together and celebrating BHM along with supporting Black Owned Businesses. It is one thing to talk and spread the businesses’ information, but it is another when you invite them down, get the community engaged, and promote the businesses in another way other than social media.
What’s one thing you wish people knew about the BSU?
Ashanti:
I wish people knew that BSU is not just a random student organization. BSU is a part of a nationwide movement that have changed and created safe spaces in many PWIs. BSU not only benefits the students, but also the institution. With BSU’s hard work, it has created a sense of community and trust while also increasing the retention rate for Black students in higher education.
Kaitlin:
One thing I wish people knew about the BSU is that we have acquired a variety of social events such as leadership, collaborations with other universities in the surrounding area, we have collaborated with Dean’s hour, Marvelous Mondays, CAB, First Friday Films, and other organizations on campus. Our organization has also started to have our student body meetings with a black-owned business in Pittsburgh called 1Hood Media. This organization builds its mission of providing a safe space for youth to learn, grow, and build communities through art, education, and social justice.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Kaitlin:
People can learn more about BSU by following us on Instagram @blackchatu. We encourage students and faculty to follow us for updates through our posts and on our social media accounts. Additionality, you can always keep an eye on Chatham's MyHappenings for events held on and off campus.
We hope to see more students in our upcoming events in the near future! If you are interested in becoming a part of or would like to learn more information regarding our organization, please feel free to contact us through our email.
Ashanti:
Thank you to everyone for all of the support they have shown. With a change in positions in leadership, BSU has had to take some time to talk about our goals, our future, and our purpose. We have a lot of plans in store for BSU so stay in tune. HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH and from here on and out, every month should be a time to celebrate our culture, history, and diversity. Be proud of your melanin.
Don’t miss the BSU’s Black History Month Closing Ceremony on Wednesday from 8-10pm in the Carriage House!