Methodist University’s Black Student Union has come a long way – in both reach and impact – during its eight years of existence. So much so that the organization has expanded to both undergraduate and graduate students.
Methodist University’s Black Student Union has come a long way – in both reach and impact – during its eight years of existence. So much so that the organization has expanded to both undergraduate and graduate students.
The University is home to more than a hundred student organizations including the Black Student Union, which was originally formed in 2015 with the purpose of creating a community among Black MU students.
Sophomore TiyeNandi Alexander (pictured above right), a Nursing major, recently took the reigns as student president of the Black Student Union, a position that has helped her grow as a person in the past year or so.
“Normally, I would keep to myself a lot. But in my freshman year, the former president and vice president of the Black Student Union came up to me and took me under their wing,” Alexander said. “I started coming to events and meetings. Eventually, they trusted me to carry on the legacy of the Black Student Union.”
MU’s Black Student Union regularly hosts dozens of events and discussions throughout the year – some of them during Black History Month – including information tables, poetry slams, movie nights, powder puff football games, spirit week and much more. Currently, more than 50 students are members of the Black Student Union.
Although young in age, the Black Student Union has helped provide an important voice during discussions of how to make Methodist University a more inclusive place – helping the University rank No. 1 as the most diverse university in North Carolina.
“It’s important to have representation and inclusivity because we are a minority off and on campus,” she said. “We want to create a brotherhood and sisterhood while offering a safe space for Black student to feel like they belong. We want to help them feel like we have people who are like them in their ideas and their culture.”
While the undergraduate chapter has been in place since 2015, the graduate chapter of the Black Student Union is newly born. Tajze Johnson (above left), a Doctor of Occupational Therapy student who is expected to graduate in 2024, started the graduate chapter after he noticed the need for better Black representation.
“The occupational therapy field is predominantly made up of Caucasian women. When I came to MU’s Occupational Therapy program, it was eye-opening to see that there were other Black people in the program with me,” said Johnson, who is the inaugural president of the chapter. “However, I noticed there wasn’t clear space to have a conversation about it, so we created this graduate chapter. We simply wanted to create a place where African-American graduate students could go so they don’t ever feel like they don’t belong.”
While most of the original participants are from the Occupational Therapy program, Johnson wants to make it clear that the graduate chapter of the Black Student Union is open to all students from graduate programs — including MU’s Physician Assistant, Business Administration, Physical Therapy and other programs.
Although new, the graduate chapter of the Black Student Union is active. In this month alone, the organization is helping host a presentation by Dr. Khalilah Johnson – an assistant professor of Occupational Science at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine – on Feb. 23 (Noon-1 p.m.) at McLean Health Sciences Building’s Room 205. The following week on Feb. 28 (5:30-6:30 p.m.), the graduate chapter will also hold a meet-and-greet at McLean’s Room 221.
While Johnson hopes to organize more events and workshops throughout the year, he said the bigger purpose is to leave a steady organization behind for future Black graduate students.
“I want to help build a foundation for the next cohorts to come,” he said. “Hopefully, when they come in, there will already be a strong organization in place so they immediately have a community they feel like they can bond with.”
Both the undergraduate and graduate chapters of the Black Student Union are open to new members. For undergraduate students, contact talexander21@student.methodist.edu. For graduate students, contact tjohnson21@student.methodist.edu.
Visit here to stay up-to date on all events, including Black Student Union events.
Note: Throughout February, the University’s “MU Celebrates Black History” series will highlight events and successes of the Black community on campus. You can follow the series by keeping tabs on MU’s social media platforms and the MU News webpage.