By Sydney Norrie | March 21st, 2022
The Black Student’s Alliance (BSA) at The Woodlands’ is a group of black students and allies that bring public speakers, events, and the amplification of student voices to the school. Yet, they are simultaneously so much more than that. According to Amal Elbuluk, president of the BSA, “[The Woodlands’ BSA is] a space where you don't have to condense who you are or your experiences to fit in.” Miatah McCallum, vice-president of the BSA adds, “The BSA is not just a safe place for black people. It's a place where all students are always welcome to join and get some insight into some problems.”
February is Black History Month in Canada. It is a time for Canadians to specifically recognize and honor the contributions that black people have made to shape Canada and the world into the place it is today. Black History Month in Canada first began in 1995 with a motion that was introduced by Jean Augustine, the first black woman to be elected to parliament. According to Amal, “Black History Month is a time to highlight and amplify what black people experience daily. [However,] I feel like it should never be the only time [you are] caring about black struggles and amplifying black voices.” Miatah expresses her thoughts as well. “I feel like we still have a long way to go to celebrate black heritage, but I'm definitely happy and proud that we do have a month that we can celebrate our culture as well. There are so many other cultures throughout the year that are celebrated each month, so I'm happy that we get our own.”
While Black History Month is an important spotlight to place on black culture and achievements, Amal explains that it can be frustrating when this momentum is lost as soon as the month is over. “I just wished people [had] that mindset throughout the entirety of the year,” Amal explains. “Once February ends, it's not like black people stop experiencing what we experience; needing support, needing our voices amplified, and having something to say.”
So far this year, the BSA has done some incredible things at The Woodlands. They have brought a variety of guest speakers to the school, including Jean Augustine herself. The BSA has also hosted Movie Nights which highlight black excellence in film and presentations on topics such as being a black ally and anti-black bias in media. In fact, for Miatah, the Black Allyship workshop was her personal favorite event she has helped run this year. “I think that was one of BSA’s first and most important workshops that we did,” Miatah explains. “[The BSA existed] last year but it wasn't as popular. This workshop brought together a lot of students, teachers even came and congratulated us and we had each of the members in our BSA speaking about things that they're passionate about. We conducted research and it was just super powerful for us to speak about it.”
Amal and Miatah both believe that having a BSA should be a necessity at every school. Amal feels like the BSA, “...gives black people that freedom of expression to talk about what they experience and find people who relate to their experiences. I also feel like it's important because it gives us a voice within the club and also outside of it [in the general school community]. Miatah also adds that a school should not just have a BSA, but should have a club for every culture and ethnicity to ensure that the identities of all students are welcome and represented.
What can you expect from The Woodlands’ BSA in the future? The executives of the club are planning to bring in some more guest speakers, specifically for Pride Month. “There’s a lot of LGBTQ+ people in the black community that have made major impacts,” Miatah states. There is also an idea of a “Woodlands Care Package” in the works to welcome new students, but Amal and Miatah couldn’t share too many details. Amal says that she is most excited about the school-wide event ideas they have. “In the same way that our allyship workshop earlier this year was open to everyone, a lot of people who aren’t in the BSA came and watched and learned, so I’m looking forward to more projects like that,” she explains.
When asked what they would like to leave readers of this article with, Miatah says the following: “No matter what [your] race or age [is], you are able to speak up in our club and you are always welcome to do that. As executives in this club, we want to amplify those voices and speak not on behalf of those people, but have them also speak up for themselves. With all the different things that we are doing throughout the school year and the things that we are striving towards, we want people to be able to just be themselves in an environment that doesn’t peer pressure them.” It’s safe to say that the BSA plays a huge role in helping to make The Woodlands’ a safe, welcoming, and inclusive community for students of all backgrounds.
Make sure to follow the BSA (@bsawoodlands) on Instagram for any updates!
Comentarios