The Black Student Alliance (BSA) at the University of New Mexico is focused more than ever on the necessity of diversity at UNM. The organization has already gotten to work alongside the start of a largely online fall semester amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The BSA is open to all Black students but mainly consists of leadership from other African American student organizations on campus. Its mission is to tackle oppressive issues that affect all of UNM, according to member Ricardo Hill.
This semester, the BSA is focusing on what ASUNM can do for the student body to implement inclusive legislation before they move on to working at a larger scale, like taking issues directly to the University. They are also focused on emphasizing the importance of showcasing diversity at UNM by hiring more Black faculty, and restructuring the way UNM markets to new students to include diversity in recruitment.
“Things should be gearing up by next week. This is a very vital time in African American culture and community as a nation and as a whole,” Hill said.
Hill said the BSA and other diversity groups should get more recognition in the recruitment process, similar to the spotlight that ASUNM gets in recruiting new students.
“An ongoing effort has been having conversations with the community and making progress to implement things that can make all of us feel safe on campus including non-Black students but especially Black students, because we don’t have a lot of spaces on campus,” Miles Blakemore, vice president of the Tau Sigma Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., said.
The group has moved to a virtual model amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Students can find statements put out by BSA on UNM African American Student Services’ (Afro) Instagram page.
The BSA also works with leaders from the Powerful Movement of Educated Sisters, Black Student Union, BGPSA, the Divine 9, Black Law Student Association and more.
Hill is the Brothers Leading and Cultivating Knowledge president, an ASUNM senator and vice-chair of finance, a member of the Black Student Union and a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Hill has been involved with the BSA since he started attending UNM after transferring from Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Mississippi. His decision was driven by the issues on campus that have yet to be resolved.
“(The purpose of the group) is to tackle bigger pressing issues of discrimination that still affect us as Black students on campus and the community,” Hill said.
Blakemore has been a member of the BSA for three years.
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“When I found out there was such a thing as the BSA, where all these student leaders could gather and converse about centralized problems that are affecting all of us on campus, I jumped to the opportunity and I haven’t stopped since,” Blakemore said.
In Blakemore’s experience, the BSA serves multiple purposes beside social change, such as a safe space for diversity, leadership connections and community skills.
“I think BSA can be used as an avenue for social change. The greatest purpose of BSA is that it’s cultivated for change on campus when it comes to the Black experience on campus in a positive way,” Blakemore said.
Over the summer, the BSA remained active and had a meeting with ASUNM President Mia Amin, the Chief of Staff, and a number of senators regarding resolution #1F that was passed on June 11.
Blakemore and Hill encourage students who are interested in participating to be active in UNM Afro and join one of their organizations.
“I would say there’s really no requirements to join BSA. The number one thing is to be an advocate for the African American community on campus. Also show leadership, show you have a voice and you don’t mind speaking out on topics that some others might not. That's what BSA needs,” Hill said.
Jasmine Casillas is a freelance reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @jaycasillas
