A variety of virtual events this week will be focused on supporting Black students during challenging times.
The Center for Race, Ethnicity & Diversity Education kicked off Black Student Success Week on Monday with a lineup of online conversations and meditations designed to encourage reflection about the campus experience for Black students.
It’s the first in a series of opportunities throughout the week to celebrate and foster Black student success, to “invite Black joy into our lives during these challenging time and build community,” according to organizers.
Hosted on the CREDE’s Instagram account by John Robinson-Miller IV, who joined the CREDE as assistant director this summer, Monday’s kickoff presented interviews with student leaders and Robinson-Miller, the opportunity to ask counselors questions and two sessions of meditations led by Brandon Joyner ’15, assistant director of admissions. A panel of students also talked about their experiences at Elon.
In her conversation with Robinson-Miller, Matisse Gilmore ’22 shared about the focus of the Black Student Union at Elon and upcoming events including a Black Solidarity event to take place on Young Commons Tuesday night and the organization’s virtual town hall slated for Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
“Our organization is here to support Black students here at Elon University in any way we can,” Gilmore told Robinson-Miller.
Gilmore said events like Tuesday’s Black Solidarity Event help carry forward the activism and heightened awareness that followed the death of George Floyd this summer. However, additional violence, like the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, demonstrates there is more to do, Gilmore said.
“With Jacob Blake’s shooting, it’s disheartening to see through all the protests and what we’ve seen this summer that this keeps happening, particularly in the Black community and to people of color,” Gilmore said.
Gilmore said the Black Student Union continues to look at ways to support Black students and encourage their involvement on campus, with service initiatives within the Alamance County community and other opportunities.
Robinson-Miller said later during his interview that Black students at Elon may face challenges in navigating the institution, and it’s important to offer reminders that students, faculty and staff are interconnected and here to assist one another.
“I think Black student success really means providing an opportunity for you to find you, for you to ground you,” Robinson-Miller said.
Each Day this week, the CREDE will be posting a discussion prompt on its Instagram account to spark conversations, with the first posted Monday.
Also this week:
- Tuesday: Pre-Table Talk via the CREDE’s Instagram
- Wednesday: Tethered: A Conversation on Race, Class & Political Power, 7 p.m. via Zoom
- Thursday: Go Vote, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Moseley 221
- Friday: Black Student Union Town Hall, 7:30 p.m. via Zoom
- Saturday: Yoga for Black Restoration, 11 a.m., Koury Center lawn
Questions? Contact John Robinson-Miller IV at jrobinsonmiller@elon.edu.