Black Student Union
BSU (Black Student Union) is a student run affinity organization founded in 2010 by East High students, consisting of leading black and brown students, promoting change in their community as well as our school. Our organization strives to serve and represent the many minority students that attend East through a series of cultural, social and academic focused programming. The purpose of BSU is to promote activities of common interest as we strive to share with the greater Madison community elements of the black experience. East's BSU consists of 40+ black and brown minority students of all grades, 9-12.
Mission
BSU will serve as an organization that fosters students development through diversity, academics and social services. In addition, the objective is to continue to promote unity and self-enrichment through community service and volunteerism.
Get Involved
BSU meets on Wednesdays during lunch in LMC Purple. We welcome Black and brown students who identify as black, African or African American. BSU activities include community building, community service, fundraising, college visits & career fairs. Interested in joining? Fill out this interest form.
Student Voice
BSU has a number of platforms and connections to enhance student voice, including having multiple members in student congress, two advisors on the communications team, students on the principal and district advisory boards, to make sure that when decisions are made, they can be done with the perspective of our students.
Accomplishments
BSU has committed itself to over 100 hours of community service within the Greater Madison Community, as well as many individual awards including: Two-time Omega Psi Phi Essay Contest winner, Omega Psi Phi Talent Hunt Award Winner, On-site college acceptance awardees (Virginia Union University), Delta Sigma Theta Scholarship Award winners, Alpha Kappa Alpha Scholarship Award winners, Carter G. Woodson Foundation award winners, MLK Outstanding Youth Award winners, among others.
Community Contributions
BSU not only provides ample opportunities for students to get connected and make a great impact on the Madison community, but it also provides them with the tools to be great leaders that are socially responsible and aware of the community they serve. BSU dedicates weekly time towards mentoring and serving the youth, building relationships with community partners and developing skills to enhance the community at East High.
Contact
Dr. Andre Small, BSU Advisor and Business, Marketing, Information & Technology Teacher
Keyerah Bennett, BSU Advisor and Student Engagement Specialist
Instagram: @purgolder_bsu
Twitter: @ehs_bsu
Videos
"I AM"
The East High BSU created this video to highlight the atrocities that we, as black adolescents, live in fear of on a regular basis. Our interactions with the police are oftentimes terrifying and the video we've created goes in depth as to why we are so fearful of such a system. The police system is a product of the justice system, neither of which have served or had the best interests of Black Americans throughout history. We present this video to you in order to create dialogue in our classrooms and communities, and bring attention to the realities of being Black in America. We ask that this video gives those who are viewing it, time to reflect on their own experiences in contrast with these ones. The footage you are about to see is very raw and uncut. Although it may not be suitable for everyone to watch, we chose to present the video in this fashion because it IS the reality and we need to acknowledge that. We urge you all to have uncomfortable yet constructive conversations around this content after watching it. We are hoping to create spaces, safe spaces outside of BSU and maybe even in our classrooms, to have open and honest discussions so that our voices may be heard and our perspectives may be seen. We do this with the very best of intentions and with the full support of our advisors.
Photos
Mary Fadele, the 2019 Omega Psi Phi Essay Scholarship Award recipient.
Yani Thoronka (1st place, poetry) and Camryn Currier (2nd place, classical vocals) at the 2020 Omega Psi Phi Talent Hunt Competition.
The East High BSU on the historic campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., on their annual HBCU trip in 2019.
Celina Spencer, reads to youth at Mendota Elementary School for the annual Read Your Heart Out in February, 2020.
Jalonzo Jackson, Tahji Jackson and Demonte Griffin mentor young boys at Emerson Elementary School during the 2019-20 school year.
The East High BSU at the Palace movie theatre with East High alum, Natalie Healy, after watching the movie “Just Mercy” during Black History Month in 2020.