Highlighting BSU

Cas Kesig - Managing Editor

Around one percent of OCSA students are African American. In fact, OCSA demographics aren’t really representative of Santa Ana and Central Orange County at all, with a staggeringly low 21 percent Hispanic and Latinx population compared to SAUSD’s 93 percent. We are clearly disparate from the community that houses us. 

This is problematic for obvious reasons, but the Black Student Union is making the most of their one percent. Co-presidents Semilore Ola (CW ‘20), Mariah Williams (MT ‘20), and Christina Miles (CW ‘21) plan on enhancing the club’s presence on campus this year.

BSU was created out of the necessities of visibility and community. “There’s a degree of isolation that comes with being a Black student. Even in your conservatory, you’re usually the token kid,” Miles said. “There’s always the expectation for me to write about the Black experience because I am the ‘single representative’ of my entire race. And then there’s the expectation of me to write what others think the Black experience is. Like, the sad black person is such a common trope in literature. I’m tired of reading about the sad Black person.”

“At OCSA, people aren’t outright hostile. But there’s a feeling of people overlooking your input, or using your culture to be cool,” Williams said.

Being tokenized or having their experience co-opted is among many, more subtle challenges that Black students encounter. Some fail to realize what many of us think is obvious: every Black person experiences their Blackness differently, just as every person of color experiences their ethnicity differently. Miles continued, “We’re supposed to be a monolithic being. People like to typefit us and say ‘the black experience at OCSA feels like this,’ when it’s very diverse.”

“If we fit into any box, it’s a very very large box, but there’s no box. The box doesn’t exist,” Williams said.

When asked what other purposes BSU serves for OCSA’s black community, Williams responded, “Students should be able to learn about Black history and culture and be surrounded by people with whom they can have these conversations. A lot of things aren’t talked about, and so they aren’t known. Lack of education shouldn’t be putting people at a disadvantage. But it’s also a space for Black students who have questions and don’t know how to approach them. There’s not much of a Black community in Orange County, so, yeah, sometimes we just want to sit around and talk about our hair. What products do you use? Does that edge control work for you?”

“We talk about things in the news,” said Miles. “It’s not always about the struggle of being a Black person. There are other things in our lives besides being constantly oppressed.”

Misconceptions regarding BSU and OCSA’s black community at large are frequent. Yes, BSU is a gathering place for Black students, but also a touchstone of education and community service for all. They are many things, but not exclusionary.

“BSU is more of a social club right now. One of the initiatives I want to work on is adding a bit more service to what we’re doing,” said Williams. “Volunteer opportunities that are more cultural-specific.”

Miles, Ola, and Williams are already beginning to plan for February: Black History Month. You can expect a kickoff celebration and a closing celebration, with possible panels and guest speakers between. Above all, they want it to be educational and inclusive.

BSU has two major sentiments to relay to the student body. One: club will now take place on the second floor! Don’t let the distance deter you from attending! And two, which they were most adamant about: everyone can come! It’s not just for Black people!

“It’s getting to see someone else’s point of view. It makes you a well-rounded individual,” said Miles, and Williams picked up immediately.

“Especially nowadays, it’s really important to take a step out of your comfort zone. So I encourage everyone to come to BSU, and bring your experiences, so we can experience life together.”