As a student at Florida State University, you notice that are exposed to so much when you first come to college. And as a black student at Florida State University, the experience is much different. some people may wonder what goes on through the mind of a minority when they attend predominantly white institutions. When you attend a very large school like FSU, sometimes it feels like there's a need to find a group to belong to. I know when I first came to FSU, I felt like I knew nobody and it was very hard to find a group of people with similar interests.

I want to join the black student union here at FSU because it is good to make friends who share common interests. I also want to be a part of an organization that can help me grow as a person and I can benefit from making professional connections. I'm doing my research portion of this project on the effects on what most minority college students experience can have on them.  Some of the problems that can arise from a black student attending a PWI is that they might feel as though their prospective on certain issues such as institutional racism and politics might not be as heard compared to their white classmates. This can lead to mental health issues and difficulty performing in during class.

In this community, there are many classifications associated with it. The black student union tries to develop a bond among all the black students so that they all have a place to come to in a school where they are the minority. Some of the ways that they do that is that the host different events such as guest speakers, they have event where it's just for entertainment like art shows and musical events, and lots of other things like volunteering and providing a place for people to go to if they need help with anything school related or even personal things. The members of the black student union of hold an image of professionalism and positivity. This is something that I really liked about this organization because once you join you're automatically looked at as someone who exemplifies Black excellence. The black student union does this by having meet ups where they educate the black community here at Florida State University of different things like how great it is to be an African-American and also, they give knowledge on current events so that when the time comes they are enriched with the knowledge of certain concerns like racism or political issues. They teach black students these things through the different activities that they host and even the ones that they don't host like when the black student union goes to a political event or a cultural event.

Being part of any community will have an effect on those who are members of them. These effects can be good or bad. In one of the studies, it talks about the experience of black and Latino students that attend Predominantly White Institutions. According to Elan Hope “Black and Latinx students are at increased risk for negative mental health outcomes, including stress, anxiety, and depression, when faced with racially hostile campus environments. Black and Latinx students at PWIs experience greater stigma, less institutional support, and less social support than White students, which makes it difficult to positively cope with competing stressors[MW1] .” (Hope 27) The black student union at Florida State University addresses issue such as that and provide support and other aids to students who may have to go through those experiences. The Black Student Union at Florida State University hosted an art show that depicted many of the stigmas that black students may face while at FSU. Some of the art that they had emphasized how black people and minorities get treated differently in schools and even outside of the classroom. Art such as the ones presented at the art show, address these issues and provide insight on what might be happening right in front of your eyes but you may not notice.

Specifically, an experience that many minorities face are micro aggressions. “Micro aggressions [MW2] are “brief and common verbal or behavioral racial insults toward.” (Hope 27) Microaggressions can include subtle insults or even stereotypes. These insults can negatively affect a student’s mental health and possibly lower their grades. Not only do minority students experience issues when it comes to attending a predominantly white institution. One way that the Black Student Union addresses the issue of micro aggressions at school is that they like to invite guest speakers who have lots of information on a topic such as micro aggressions and inform the students of not only what to look out for but also the dangers and consequences that can come along with it. In an interview with a member of BSU, I asked about how the process of getting the word out to the students usually goes when it comes to just trying to talk about something that might seem boring or unimportant to many students. Basically, the Black Student Union reaches out to their members and people who might be interested in going to a meeting through the use of social media. A common outlet that they use is Instagram and Twitter. And through those outlets is how the Black Student Union gets their information from the guest speaker to the students.

Most people know that a lot of minorities come from households that are not the best fitting for a student. The student’s upbringing has probably the biggest effect on their future. According to Equality and Excellence The Educational Status of Black Americans, “Although [MW3] blacks have made strides since 1970 in gaining access to higher-paying and higher-status jobs, whites still were more than twice as likely as blacks to hold jobs in professional or managerial occupations in 1980. Black participation in these occupations was concentrated in jobs at the lower end of the professional pay scale.” (Darling-Hammond 11) It is very apparent that many minority students have it hard when it comes to important things such as school and jobs. The black student union is an organization that was created to fight the statistics and provide students with a way to overcome the norm of ill educated and unemployed minorities. The black student union does this by giving students the tools and information that they need to be successful. Some ways that they do this is by having successful minorities visit and tell their story in hopes of some of the students retaining their knowledge and applying it to themselves so that they can become successful throughout college and even after college. According to Equality and Excellence of Black Americans, “Financial aid has a great effect on college retention rates, particularly for black students, who are nearly twice as likely to stay in four-year colleges if they [MW4] receive aid. The importance of financial aid for black students is apparent, considering that in 1981, 48 percent of black college-bound seniors came from families with incomes under $12,000, as compared to only 10 percent of their white counterparts.” (Darling-Hammond 11)

I did an interview with one of the members of the black student union and they provided me with some a lot of inside knowledge of the organization and gave me a first-hand rundown of how they run things over there. One of the most defining things that the black student union does is try and promote unity and build the members into upstanding citizens once they graduate from college. The Black Student Union builds their members into people with outstanding characteristics by teaching them what it means to be great. BSUs provide their members the tools that they need so that they are not looked over upon when they graduate and enter the real world. My mom always told me how black people have to work twice as hard to get the same as a person who is privileged. Joining a Black Student Union is kind of an organization that guides black people towards excellence by giving students the knowledge and aid that they will need in the future. The member of BSU that I interviewed explained to me how without BSU he probably would have never known what it takes to become successful and also, he would not have learned to be racially conscious without being ignorant.

Black Student Unions promote excellence by giving African Americans a positive image in society. The image of black people today is not a very favorable one. Many African Americans and minorities in general are accustomed to racial profiling such as looking like a thug or looked upon as though they are not an equal to other races or social statuses. Treyvon Martin is a prime example. He was an African American who was shot and killed because, of what many say, the color of his skin. Black Student Unions are striving at eliminating situations such as that one by showing the world that black people are not all thugs or that we are always up to no good. BSUs are working towards this by building black men and women of character and showing the world that we are more than what discriminatory stigmas are put upon us.

 A very large school like Florida State University can be a little nerve-racking for someone who is new to the area and might even have trouble attaining a sense of identity in a place where they are not the same as everyone around them. The Black Student Union is an organization that relieves these troubles by giving the students a place where they can not only feel safe but also a place where people who are alike can come together and share ideas on how to make school seem less intimidating. An example of this would be that our BSU has a group of people who kind of oversee smaller groups of new members so that they can feel more comfortable and have someone who they can talk to at almost any time.

It is very important to have good social networks with people who are determined to help you enjoy your college experience and also people who want to see you be a very successful adult. I asked the person I was interviewing “what is the main goal of the black student union?” Some of the goals that the black student union have are that they want to have African American students at our school attain a positive image and be excellent academically. Black student unions across the globe started when people begin to confront racial injustices in schools and society.  “BSUs and Black social institutions attacked issues of racial discrimination, economic exploitation, political disenfranchisement and lack [MW5] of access to resources such as educational facilities and health care.” [MW6] (Black Issues 1) To confront racial injustices, black students banded together and made groups so that they can help other discriminated people rise above many social issues and provide resources that some students may not have. “organizations such as BSUs remain critical. They are a part of this so-called “educational niche” where people are sensitive to issues and where negative stereotypes are less likely to be present. Ideally, these organizations can and often do serve as organizations that allow for leadership development, community involvement, networking and vocational/career support[MW7] .” (Black Issues 1) Previously mentioned, BSUs are working to build leaders and people of character. Another way that they do this is by having previous members who have become successful return to the school and allow for the current members of the organization ask them any questions on how Black Student Unions operate or how BSU has affected them on their conquest for success.

Through my research, I found that Black Student Unions have changed a lot over time. “Parties are a favorite BSU past time. Their role has shifted from responding to the political and racial climate of the past to that of a social organization. This social purpose notwithstanding, the BSU does intermittently serve as an important part of the university infrastructure as a symbol of a more overt racist past and as a social network for faculty, staff and students of color on predominantly White campuses.” (Black Issues 1) This role shift can be looked at as good and bad. It can be good as in it shows that our society is evolving and that we are not still living based on the norms of the 1960’s. But it can also be looked at as a bad thing because some may feel as though Black Student Unions are not focusing as much on certain important issues such as politics. Ultimately, BSUs are changing just the same way that society is changing. Things are not always going to be the same and the same tactics will not always work. BSUs are doing the best they can in today’s world and they are very important no matter what method of procedure they use. Turning to a more social organization in today’s society is probably better because we are living in a more social community.

In conclusion, the black student union I feel like is a community that is just for me because I'm black and it provides me with somewhere that I can have a sense of identity and meet people with the same ideals and values. This community is a community that I would like to join because after conducting my research I found that being black is hard and it's good to have a group of people who has your back. Black student unions provide atmosphere of comfortability for African-Americans around the world. Students can come with an issue and not feel judged about it. Black student unions also allow students to unite with each other and gain professional connections. “Black student unions are also instrumental in providing support in the survival process and persistence to graduation. Consequently, Black student unions are still significant to maintain, sustain, buttress and bolster African American students today.” (Black Issues 1) Among other things, actively participating in an organization that promotes positivity and excellence is good because it allows for a student to better themselves academically and socially. The Black Student Union would be the most fitting for me because it will provide me with a place where I can know that I will get unbiased opinions and gain information and tools needed to aid me in becoming a successful young adult once I graduate.

 

African Americans at a Predominantly white institution have to bear the cost of being different than most of the people around them and feeling like a small fish in a big pond and that has a pretty big effect on how someone’s college years feel to them.  ​