Merlynn Pierre and Nadja Knox

Guest Writers

BSU is a place where Black students can come to discuss racial politics, issues and problems in a safe and respectful environment. Here are some words from Merlynn Pierre and Nadja Knox on their experiences with the club.

Merlynn: Walking into Latin my first day of school, I was excited, but also anxious. I knew that there were few people who would look like me or have had a similar experience. My first couple of months here were rough; I didn’t have an easy transition. It was culture shock, as I had been taken out of my normal environment and placed into a new one where I felt like I was supposed to figure it out on my own. The thing was, though, no one actually expected me to do it alone and that there was a place where I could go and figure out the feelings and emotions that I was experiencing. Being in BSU for the first time was such a memorable experience. We laughed a lot, but we also got really serious.

Nadja: My freshman year was an extremely rough transition for me socially and academically. Without things like BSU and Colored People Pizza Chat, I’m not sure how I would’ve made it through that year, or the rest of high school. They helped me deal with issues, shared their advice, and were basically my guardian angels. I really appreciate them, and I hope that I can be to new BSU members, what they were to me.

Our goals for BSU are to bring awareness to issues that affect the black community such as colorism, poverty and Chicago violence. We plan on screening the popular documentary Dark Girls mid November and we will join LIFE and the Chicago History class in the discussion with Cobe Williams of the Interrupters. We want BSU to be a place where black and nonblack kids can come and discuss absolutely anything in a totally safe and supportive environment.