Black Student Union: Student leaders that make everybody feel like somebody

BY BROOKLYN MCKINNEY /  Multimedia journalist

At Tarleton, 62.6% of students are white, while just 7.53% are African American. While this may not seem like a big deal to some, it can be scary for students setting foot on campus for the first time who don’t see any familiar faces.

“When I first came onto campus, I noticed there were not a lot of people that looked like me and I wanted to find people who did. It was just more about comfortability because this was a very different environment,”Gabby Darby, the Public Relations Officer for the Black Student Union at Tarleton, said,

However, every Texan, even Tarleton Texans, knows that diversity lives within The Lone Star State. With a population of over 30 million people, Texas is home to  many different backgrounds and cultures below the surface.

Tarleton alum Malik Miles saw the need for an organization where African American students on campus could find their community. In 2019, Miles founded the Black Student Union. During his time at Tarleton, he was also a part of MENtal Freedom, the Black Excellence Association and the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.

“These organizations impacted me in a lot of ways. Some of them pushed me and groomed me to become a student leader on campus and others gave me the vehicle to be a student leader and create an environment and space for students that traditionally did not have it,” Miles said.

The Black Student Union was founded to empower black students on campus, creating a safe space for them to thrive as student leaders.

BSU President Tamiera Rodgers is living proof that this is still the case today.

“Being a member of BSU for me has really shaped my college career, because this is the only organization that I’ve really poured myself into. I think that it was really important to be in BSU for me because that’s where I found my big sisters and brothers,” Rodgers said. “I came to college so young too, and it was kind of like I had people that were from the same place as me, who looked like me, who were on the same mission as I am. Who were able to steer me into a better direction to navigate Stephenville and Tarleton as a whole as a minority.”

BSU is not only important to African American students but also to this growing campus as a whole.

“I feel like a lot of people have that misconception of us that we’re kind of secluded to our race and everything, but we’re open for all students. We’ve had non-POC [Person of Color] members before and we also partner with other organizations like the Plowboys and OLAS [Organization of Latinx-American Students] and KDChi [Kappa Delta Chi], so we merge with everybody,” Rodgers said.

The Black Student Union is so much more than just a social club, it is a community where many students on campus have found their purpose.

Marsean Fisher, wide receiver for the Tarleton Texan football team said, “I decided to join BSU because I wanted to be more active in my community and I care about the advancement and the representation of my people and all people at this campus.”

Some have not only found community but also friendship and identity.

“I got a good experience being around people that are pushing you to do better, and pushing you to really be out there because I got to meet a lot of different people. They taught me that you don’t have to be what people are telling you you have to be, you just have to be yourself,” Darby said.

Overall, Black Student Union events have a lively and welcoming atmosphere. These students go above and beyond to not only be leaders on their campus but make everybody feel like somebody.

They host many events throughout the year such as the Black Student Union Cookout, Paint and Sip  and BSU Olympics.

“It [BSU Cookout] was the biggest turnout we had. I was in the dunk tank; it’s like a big tank full of water and you sit up and people throw baseballs and try to knock you in. I got dunked well over 20 times, there’s great food, great vibes, everybody was dancing and engaged, that was definitely my favorite event,” Fisher said.

Rodgers says that her favorite events are the annual R&B Bash and BSU Olympics.

“We did a bubble relay; we actually have a four by one and everybody loves to do the four by one, like that‘s the most popular event there because they all think they’re fast,” Rodgers said.

Everyone is welcome at the Black Student Union, and truly anyone can feel at home.

“BSU as a whole is really diverse. We have people think, ‘Oh it’s just for black students’, but it’s Black students and allies so anybody can come to a Black Student Union meeting and I’ve met a lot of different people from all over the place,” Darby said. “So I just feel like if you’re scared of coming to a meeting definitely come out, we’re very welcoming.”

To stay on the lookout for upcoming events, follow Tarleton’s Black Student Union @tsubsu on Instagram or Twitter.

For more information, go to https://texansync.tarleton.edu/organization/nbsu or https://datausa.io/profile/university/tarleton-state-university.