Black student orgs offer community across all interests and identities

Finding community at USC can be essential for students looking for a place to connect with fellow peers. Today, we are highlighting a few Black student organizations that aim to connect Black students with similar interests.

Kailin Bryant, a freshman studying Political Science, Philosophy, and Culture, is a member of Siblings in Solidarity (SIS). The club meets on a weekly basis and is open to students looking for a safe space.

KAILIN BRYANT: We create spaces for black women and non-binary to come in, like, I guess, enjoy different topics and talk about different things with people that look like us.

She explains how SIS has helped campus feel a bit smaller during her first year at USC.

BRYANT: Without SIS, I probably wouldn’t have known many other Black students in other grades. So like, for example, now that I’m in SIS, I know, when I’m on campus, there’s at least two familiar faces that have either been in the meetings or on the e-board. So, yeah it helped me create a different community.

Ann Marie Easy, a junior studying Political Science, is co-executive director of Black Student Assembly (BSA). She helps host weekly events for Black students on campus to connect with one another. BSA hosts workshops on academic, professional, and social developments.

ANN MARIE EASY: I definitely believe it feels like a safe space for black students as it’s a space for them to come and like, talk to each other, just meet new people, build community and also just let their voices to be heard.

Hajer Jama is a junior studying Business Administration and the Vice President of the East-African Student Assembly. The organization hosts bi-weekly meetings where students from East African background and those who are interested in the community, come together.

HAJER JAMA: My favorite event for EASA, out of the many we’ve had, I think the most recent one was like last week where we had a mental health workshop. And so I really like that because we kind of talked about family and mental health. As you know, those are usually stigmas coming from those communities. So I was really glad that we were able to have that open conversation.

With a steady growth of Black organizations, Black students are paving a way to uplift one another during their time at USC. Make sure to check out the other Black Student organizations on campus.

For Annenberg Media, I’m Susan Nyirenda.