Starting a new club is never easy, but starting one based on a minority race in a predominantly White high school (what I jokingly call a HWHS or Historically White High School) is a whole other struggle. 

Trust me: I know. As the founder of the school’s first Black Student Union (BSU), my goal was quite simple: Give Black students a safe and open environment for networking and connecting our experiences with our roots.  

I passionately advertised the club: I posted flyers, set meeting times and dates, changed them twice, sent personal emails to students, posted announcements on Schoology, and plastered the BSU digital flyer on the school’s televisions. 

After all of that, I had gained exactly one new member: Jasmine Scott. 

Months into our work, Jasmine and I are faced with a major question left unanswered: Why are so many Black students uninterested, resistant even, to join? 

I was hopeful things would improve my senior year, but the struggle only got harder. Now I am busier: I am currently juggling classes, college applications, early graduate planning, and other teenage stressors.  So far, this pilot club, which still feels like me testing the waters, has me feeling like I’m drowning in a deep pool. 

With just two members, I cannot hold any events, I cannot network, and I cannot find leaders for next year. In short, I cannot do what I set out to do, which was to start a welcoming clubs for Black students that would last long after I was gone.

And if I cannot do my job as a founder, I risk this club’s demise after my graduation.  

Some may ask: Why is having a BSU even important? 

Because it represents more than just a club. Because it’s important all students have a place to  express themselves freely, to connect through shared experiences, and to celebrate their culture without fear and judgement from others. Because students can also use it as a tool: they can learn about other cultures and immerse themselves in a diverse community. Because clubs for minorities show inclusion in a meaningful way; there’s specific space for them.

So now, as I feel deeper underwater, I try to understand why. 

Maybe students cannot commit to a time. Maybe they are involved with a lot of other extracurricular activities. Maybe they have jobs or take care of family members. 

Or maybe they are afraid of expressing their roots. Or maybe they don’t feel comfortable talking about race in a school that is predominantly White.

Laura Flangel, the club’s sponsor, brought up the challenge of expressing one’s Black culture and experience in a predominantly White environment. It can be scary.  Most people do not want to stand out because it can bring bullying and racism. 

After months of trying to understand why, I think it’s likely a mix of uncertainty, disinterest, and hesitation. It’s even harder to join when there are so few members. When a club cannot prove its usefulness,  fewer students are open to sacrificing their time and taking a leap. As such, my goals already are completely unachievable. I was ready to start connecting with other students–  trying to reel in some more in the process–but it is harder to forge a community than I expected.

It’s extremely humbling too. I grew up believing I can achieve anything with time and hard work. I have that Tiana from Princess and The Frog determined mindset, which ultimately did not help me.  

But I have not given up. I am writing about my experience in hopes that I can draw someone in, maybe even spark up a conversation.   

The closer I get to graduation, I think of the future when I am gone and the next generation of students of all races walk through those our doors. I want BSU to be their tool, their place, their support system. 

I want someone to take over and lead this club in a good direction. When that person comes, I want to see all the members thriving and being themselves.  

In the end, BSU is not about having separate places for Black students because they are different and should be separated. It’s about fostering belonging and empowerment by creating a place to represent Black students.