Kenwood Starts a Black Student Union

When now English teacher Grace Pullum (known as Ms. G) was a student here at Kenwood as an IB student (Class of 2018) her and two friends created the Black History Month assembly. “There weren’t many students in attendance. When I was here, the culture was very different,” she shares. 

She wanted to start a Black Student Union then but “there weren’t many students, I believed, that would’ve been interested in the group,” she adds. Now as a teacher, her and Ms. Williams, are advising a Black Student Union (BSU). The BSU will meet every Tuesday in the library right after school. “Ms. Williams and I have been excited to create a safe space for those who are a part of and support the Black diaspora here at Kenwood,” she shares.

The Black Student Union is open for any and everyone to join. “The Black Student Union is a social and cultural advocacy group which aims to create a safe space to discuss and celebrate Black diasporic culture and history. All interested in promoting inclusivity and awareness are welcome to join!” Ms. G shares.

There is also a schoology page to learn more about the group. On that page students who are interested in a leadership role can access and complete a google form to meet with Ms. G or Ms. Williams soon about those potential leadership roles.

Senior student Amyah Davis is excited for the BSU to come to her school. Amyah believes that offering a BSU will help students feel more comfortable in school and in their own environment where they can feel represented and heard. “Having a BSU benefits the school because we’re offering a space for students to establish connections and talk about situations or events that have taken place where they’ve felt left out or racially profiled. We want to establish a community where students feel welcomed and are comfortable enough to share their stories.”
 

It is hopeful that the BSU organization will bring diverse backgrounds together. “I hope that this club brings the school together despite having a different racial backgrounds. I hope that we continue to grow as a school and have clubs like these where students are able to open up about their personal experiences and just feel welcomed in their own school community,”  Amyah adds. 

Students can also join the BSU schoology group with code Z5NC-T37F-727BC.