Page 6
The
Portland Observer
Black History Month
February 26, 2014
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by
S taci W hite
First, I want to start by saying
that the Black Student Union at
P o rtlan d C om m unity C o lleg e
wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the
Associated Students of Portland
Community College.
The Black Student Union has
been around for some time and each
year our priorities are made in con
junction with the selection of a stu
dent as BSU coordinator. However,
what we all keep in mind is that we
cannot forget the community we
came from.
Each year, our central mission is
bring cultural awareness on cam
pus, and foster mentorships and
networking opportunities for stu
dents. With Black History Month
being here once a year, we are also
reminded of who we are and of how
far we have come. We continue to
be fearless despite what society has
done to suppress us.
Black Student Union members
each have their own version of what
being a member of the Black Student
Union means to them.
For example, BSU student Tony
Funchess says the group is about
stay silent.
‘T o be African American is to
realize color is blind,” she said.
For Brittany Stringfellow, the or
ganization means “strength, perse
verance, intelligence and tenacity,”
and to another BSU student, Belinda
Washington, it means “coming to
gether with my fellow African-
American peers to strengthen our
community by helping each other.”
For me, the Black Student Union
has given me permission to be fear
less and not apologize for being
black. Being black means being dig
nified by the Civil Rights move
ment; having the Panthers chant
“Black Power,” and being creatively
profound in the arts, such as dance,
music, and literature. We are natural
entertainers; this is how we express
ourselves through our triumphs and
adversities.
Words cannot express what the
Black Student Union has done for
me and how being black has shaped
my life. As we move forward at PCC
Staci White
and beyond, each one of us will
continue to educate and define what
making sure PCC is “a safe space it means to be black.
where I can be authentically me,
We stand proudly as the Black
learn my history and engage in mean Student Union with our fist held
ingful dialog and activities that pro high to the sky to celebrate Black
mote cultural awareness for my self History Month.
and others.”
Staci White is the Black Student
To student Kerinä Blanchard, the Union Coordinator at Portland
BSU provides a voice for those who Community College.
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