Approaching its 30th year as a Hopkins student group, the Black Student Union continues to be the backbone of the black community at Hopkins, as well as a liaison to the black community in Baltimore.
The BSU was founded in April of 1968 in the wake of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the ensuing riots in Baltimore. The group has upheld the integrity of its mission over the years, and currently has between 80 and 90 active members.
According to its constitution, the BSU's purpose is "to serve as a positive influence in the academic environment of the Johns Hopkins University campus and to serve as an organizational base from which the concerns and needs of Black students can be addressed in the most efficient manner possible."
At least once a week, members tutor at Montebello Elementary, a local public school, to help students with their homework.
According to the program's mission statement, "The set-up of the after school program consists of an hour of homework help followed by free/play time in which the mentors play with the students."
The Black Student Union has also participated in the Excel Youth Conference, which is a joint project between the BSU and JHU Admissions, which encourages Baltimore public school students to attend Hopkins.
"There is an idea amongst students in Baltimore -- they do not see Johns Hopkins as an attainable school to attend. We want to break that conception," said Antoinette Rainey, the vice-president of the BSU.
In Perspectives, the Union's official newsletter, Rainey said, "In the Spring I hope to extend this conference into the Excel Program which would involve BSU members hosting small group rap sessions at local city high schools, giving students the heads up on applying to college and letting them know what they can do to improve their chances of getting in.
"A great number of them don't think they have the credentials to be accepted to this institution. Together we can positively influence many students and even get some of these promising students on campus."
The BSU encourages all people to participate in its organization. "The Johns Hopkins community should not feel intimidated . . . they should feel this is a place they can go to," said President Iyamide House.
"The BSU deals with a whole lot of issues that are also felt by other people in other communities. If people care about issues . . . they should be here," said House.
"[Our] goal is to improve the number of African-American faculty," she said. She also said the BSU hopes to increase the number of courses at Hopkins that relate to black history.
The BSU is also intent on creating both a friendly academic and social environment for African-American students. According to Rainey, study groups are formed to help underclassmen excel at Hopkins. The group also hosts numerous fun events to keep students socially content, she said.
They also participate in the Big Brother and Sister program, in which an upperclassman pairs up with a freshman. This program was instituted, "so [freshmen] can have someone to talk to, to get advice from -- [the upperclassmen] can be there for them as a support system," said Events Chair Samantha Simpson.
As for the future, the BSU plans to host the Black Academy Awards, a ceremony which will celebrate, honor and give awards to recognize the achievements of African-American students, said Simpson.
This Friday, Dec. 3, the BSU will hold a formal at the Glass Pavilion, with tickets sold in advance. Every Sunday at 7 p.m., the BSU holds its meetings in the BSU Room, in the basement of AMR II.
