I felt uneasy when applying to the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Since pre-K, I’ve only ever attended majority-Black schools, where Black students made up 60-90+% of the population. UIC was my first real and consistent experience with being a minority in a space meant to nurture and meet my needs. Not only did I fear for my lack of comfortability on campus, but I also feared for my safety as I lacked the tacit solidarity that had been a mainstay in my life until this point.

Despite this, I found solace in my role as the community outreach chair for UIC’s Black Student Union (BSU), a position I’ve held since the end of my freshman year in May 2022. Once joining BSU, I found that there was an entire community of people who shared my hopes and fears for coming to a campus like UIC. However, one thing continues to give us a shared sense of relief: community.

BSU’s secretary, Morayo Ojugbele, defined community as “people that love and care for each other and do what they can to make sure their community members are the best they can be.” 

Morayo spoke about her journey to BSU: “I joined BSU because I wanted to be more involved on campus and to meet more Black people at UIC. BSU was the perfect way to do both!” 

This sentiment was echoed by other BSU members such as treasurer Doriyon Ward, who has been a key factor of multiple organizations and advocate for Black students while even offering me, and other students like myself, assistance in grueling calculus courses through laughter and a unique shared sense of dread that comes from being a Black student pursuing a degree at a PWI. Perhaps this is what Morayo meant by her interpretation of community.

The importance of love as a base for community is a belief that is held throughout BSU and is reflected in the actions of every member, including BSU president and vice president Mateo Baker and Collin Olusuyi. Vice President Collin defines community as “a place where people uplift and support each other.” He continues to explain the significance of his role at BSU, and says “I joined BSU to help create a safe community of Black people at UIC.”  Both Collin and Mateo have organized meetings, shown up for various events, and offered a helping hand to any in need of one with the goal of creating a safe space for Black students on campus. 

On many occasions, Mateo has expressed that his connections within UIC that existed before his freshman year seemed fruitless once arriving here, as he still lacked a sense of support that is unique to being a part of a community. In an effort to be a catalyst for change on campus, Mateo joined BSU with his good friend Shelden Manning, BSU’s Head of Marketing and Social Media. Shelden has been one of BSU’s most prominent figures. He holds an unmatched ability to bring joy out of all people he comes in contact with. I believe this comes from his love of the arts, which he uses as inspiration to uplift Black creativity in our space as the Head of Marketing. 

For the students in BSU, the love found within a community is the junction of our greatest aspects as humans. This love can come from creativity, joy, excellence, or any other source of human passion. But the unique thing about community is that it also makes space for the parts of us we may not be proud of. The parts of us that are not perfect but still make us human. There’s room for every single part of us in a community because community is the reflection of the people within it. Community is not limited to one heart: it grows and spreads to fit us all. Like us, community varies, but the love and care we give to each other creates the heart of a nurturing community within BSU. The Black Student Union starts and ends with community, and shall continue to exist as a safe space for those within it because of community.