Remembering Ebony
A brief history of Black student organizations at Southwestern.
Black students at Southwestern have worked to create a series of strong student organizations focused on creating safe spaces for Black students within this Predominantly White Institution (PWI) and advocating for social justice and inclusion on campus and beyond. Significantly, the safe spaces these organizations have created have been metaphorical, as none of them have ever had a physical space on campus to call their own.
The first Black student organization at Southwestern University was founded in 1972. That was nearly 100 years after the University was founded in Georgetown and just 3 years after the first black student to attend the University, Ernest Clark, graduated in 1969. The organization was named the Black Organization for Student Survival or B.O.S.S. This name remained until 1982 when Janine Pope Mays ‘83 wanted a less militaristic name. Thus, students in the organization got together and established a new name, Ebony.
The students redrafted the original constitution of the organization to be able to assign officers, as well as establish bimonthly meetings, which would take place the first and third Monday of each month in the upstairs commons. This provided a more clear structure for the organization, allowing them to flourish and hold events, incorporating more students and actively working to demand that Southwestern live up to its rhetoric around diversity, equity, and inclusion. The club was not exclusive to Black students, as the club opens up membership to any student committed to racial justice.
Throughout the years, Ebony put on numerous events to bring awareness and support to the black community and African culture. Slightly farther down the line in the 1990s, students of the organization decided that Ebony should be an acronym, standing for Encouraging Blacks and Others to Never Yield. This acronym has been used on and off throughout the years since then. In 2022, Ebony decided to change their name from Ebony, to BSU: Black Student Union. In an interview with Malissa Ismaila, Director of Student Inclusion and Diversity, she said that the name change was intended to allow the organization to have closer ties and to be more closely involved in the network of Black Student Organizations on other campuses, rather than having an organization with a name that is unique to Southwestern.
Although the name and acronym have been adjusted throughout the years, the goals at the core of the organization have remained the same: it was created and designed to promote black awareness on campus, as well as awareness about improving the social conditions of black students on campus. Additionally, they aim to promote unity among African Americans, other minority students, and the larger SU community.
The location of the pin chosen for this organization is the Korouva Milk Bar, in honor of the regular poetry and jazz nights held in the space by Ebony, specifically during Black History Month. Throughout February, Ebony would put on annual poetry nights at Korouva held either weekly or biweekly during the month, where all students were encouraged to attend, listen, and even present their work. It provided students the opportunity to perform their work to an audience, and for everyone to have a place to hear poetry written by notable black poets such as Langston Hughes and others during the Harlem Renaissance, as well as a space to discuss issues surrounding race and racism. It provided students the opportunity to talk about these issues in a safe space, issues that otherwise may not be discussed, although these issues are important to the community that many Southwestern students of color have been trying to create on our campus for years.
Along with poetry nights, Ebony collaborated with numerous organizations, faculty, and different diversity coordinators to put on a variety of other events during February. They would put on films in the Cove Media Room that called attention to hierarchies and systems of oppression in our society, as well as Black representation, both appreciating and critiquing the African-American representation in films and having discussions about such topics following the showing. They also have held seminars such as “Racism in the Classroom” and “How culture affects body image.” They once held a yarn doll-making workshop open to interested students; although it originated in Romania, it is a common practice throughout history. In addition, they hosted an annual Black History Month dinner in the McCombs Ballroom, where there was frequently a guest speaker, and food was provided for 100 guests. They have also held picnics with music, entertainment, conversations, and even charcoal for cooking
Some other notable events include a celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Week every January, including guest speakers, a gospel choir performance, a community dinner, discussions, and an Open Mic Night. They have also sent students to attend the Southwestern (regional, not University affiliated) Black Student Leadership Conference. In 2019 they contributed to creating a new book club reading and discussing literature written by African-American authors. And numerous other events have contributed to their goals of promoting black awareness, promoting community, and fighting for racial justice–all while creating a safe space for black students at a predominately white institution (PWI).
