By Katie Kreis ’19

Students from Wartburg College’s Black Student Union recently attended the TRI-BSU Conference in Storm Lake, where they had an opportunity to network with other BSU organizations. Buena Vista University’s BSU hosted the event as part of its Black History Month celebration.

“It was a time for different Black Student Union organizations to come together to figure out why it is important to have a BSU at predominantly white institutions, as well as to gain ideas from each other about activities we can facilitate on campus for students who are from different backgrounds,” said Kyera Love ’19, Wartburg’s BSU vice president.

Black Student Unions were first organized in 1966 as traditionally white colleges and universities experienced an influx of black students because of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which banned discrimination in education. Many people were inhospitable to the new students, which prompted the desire to create a group that would unite black students, allowing them to work together to promote change on campus as well as providing a backdrop for other social and political activities.

“Honestly, the conversation took off from there. Buena Vista had a recent racial incident on campus, and that opened the door for Wartburg students to talk about their experiences and how it was handled on our campus,” said Krystal Madlock, director of multicultural student services and BSU adviser. “This was a very healthy conversation for all the students present. They were able to learn and grow with each other.”

At Wartburg, BSU is dedicated to bringing people from the same or diverse backgrounds together and supporting one another through any challenges they may face. The student-run organization also plans events during Black History Month and facilitates Hoops for Hope in April, among other activities.

The conference weekend began with a Friday night performance of Step Afrika!, a nonprofit dedicated to the African-American tradition of stepping. The group ranks in the top 10 of African-American dance companies in the United States.

“Some of our peers got up on stage and stepped with the members, and it was pretty fun to watch them get into character and do step moves,” said Love, a social work major from Chicago.

In addition to talking about new programming ideas focused on educating the campus and supporting African-American students, the group also saw the new movie “Black Panther.”

“One idea I really liked was building a safe space for not only students of color, but for students who are not of color, too, and how we can build a better community for one another,” Love said. “It’s important to educate different cultures and those around us about what it feels like to be on a campus with people we sometimes cannot relate to.”