BSU Brings Students Together

by Joas Cruz

On February 20, 2026, classes were summoned and directed to Royce Hall. Students were instructed to fill in each seat. Once seated, BSU members began with introductions and background information for the gathering. The assembly was in support of Black History Month. Student speakers uploaded a video on how African Americans and their historical figures built the nation along with many developed modern ideas. 

The assembly then got interactive. Introducing the game “Guess the Song” where the opponents, a teacher vs a student, were given a certain amount of time to listen to the song and ring the bell to shout their answers. To continue interacting with the audience, BSU uploaded a Kahoot code for students to join. Players flooded the lobby, and the game began. The game titled “Who Is Invited to the Cookout?” determined which African American legends and icons would be invited. 

To end the assembly, a positive “roast” battle between two groups of students was led by a teacher. Both groups went back and forth competing historical figures; the audience shocked after every name drop. Ending the assembly with an anthem, BSU instructed students to join them and sway along. Overall, the assembly represented culture, union, and historical values. From one of the many members in Black Student Union shares the importance of being involved, senior Leilah Ruff said, “Leaving BSU taking memories, lesson, and lifelong friendships with me.” 

Influential African America Arists

African American writers and painters have been instrumental in shaping the cultural and intellectual landscape of the United States, acting as both historians and visionaries of the future. Through the literary mastery of figures like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison, and the visual narratives of artists like Jacob Lawrence and Faith Ringgold, these creators have challenged systemic injustices and reclaimed the Black narrative from the margins of history. Their work does more than just document the struggle for civil rights; it explores the profound depths of the human condition, celebrates the richness of African American heritage, and forces the nation to confront the discrepancy between its founding ideals and its lived realities.