Sonoma State’s Black Student Union met in The Hub Tuesday, Oct.11 to discuss important topics that black people have endured in the past and how it has changed since then. Students learned more about the era of Jim Crow laws and how it legalized racial segregation. One of the main focus points of the event was discussing how the Jim Crow era sought to prevent Black people from voting. BSU also provides a safe space to discuss other controversial subjects. 

BSU introduced a game in which three presidents would have certain topics and have to propose the solutions in a political debate setting. A debate topic discussing reparations for black people was an important issue many students in BSU felt strongly about. One student in particular shared a heartfelt and informative speech that talked about the topic within reparations that led toward a potential solution. 

“Black people had a lot of businesses and success in that community. In 1921, The Tulsa Race Massacre occurred when white mobs destroyed black communities and businesses by setting them on fire. After the occurrence, what do we ask for? Are we really asking for money? No, we want equity and equality. We need to be able to get home loans and do something with it. It’s not just the money but being able to make/build within our communities. We are not put in a place where we can grow and build generational wealth. We want fairness and we need financial literacy.” Said Carlos Perry.

The BSU meetings have been very successful and informative for all the students who attend. The Hub Cultural Center manager talks about how these meetings have been very impactful, especially this year in comparison to the past.

“The events have been going really well. I received some feedback from a couple students that this year’s BSU has meant so much to them with the space being open. They feel like they can be themselves. They also talk about opening up and I think that’s great so it’s been super beneficial.” Said Tramaine Austin-Dillion.

The BSU Co-President was very excited as well for the new turnout of their club this year with the new amount of support being received, and their capabilities of communicating more influential topics for the community. 

“I think today’s meeting went very well. It was a mix of actual important content and having fun talking about topics that are really relevant to us” Said Amanda Luckett. 

These BSU events have been meeting every other Tuesday. The people who attend these meetings are also a mix of all different communities who join together for a purpose and also for a fun time.