On Friday, April 18th, sophomores Brianna Dutton and Malik Evans helped facilitated the first ever meeting of Ubuntu: Black Leadership Network (BLN), for the presidents and executive board members of 21 Black Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs). The presidents of all 35 Black RSOs at Syracuse University were formally invited to attend.

The purpose of Ubuntu: The Black Leadership Network is to provide a forum to unite the current Black student leaders on Syracuse University’s campus, to improve communication amongst the Black community, and generate a network that operates in a more cohesive manner in order to foster a collective Black voice.

The BLN will not focus on programming. It will serve as a council charged with improving communication amongst the current Black student leaders on campus and addressing critical issues pertaining to the success of the Black community at Syracuse University.

The BLN’s mission of this organization is to:
a. Establish a strategic system that will allow the current Black organizations to work together and support each other by unifying its leaders.
b. Strengthen a unified Black voice that is equipped to efficiently voice the concerns of its people, especially during a crisis.
c. Socialize the issues on campus that pertain to and effect the Black community in order to bring critical matters to life.
d. Create a sustainable legacy that will guarantee the Syracuse community will not forget the mission and purpose for which the BLN was founded and created

Evans is the BLN’s fiscal agent. He volunteered for the position due to his experience as a member of Student Association’s Finance Board. He is also a member of the SA Assembly representing the Whitman School.

“I joined because I felt through my experience at SU that there is a huge disconnect in the Black community,” said Evans. “Unless you know somebody on the e-board or a part of the organization, or you hear from your friends about an event, most times we don’t support Black organizations and events. Also, with 35 Black organizations it is difficult to unite all of the student leaders, which the BLN is hopeful of accomplishing. I feel we really need to bring this small community together.”

Evans explained that the essence of the BLN is to unite not regulate. He believes it will be exponentially great for the community.

“I’ve only been a Finance Board member for two months,” said Evans. “When it comes to Black organizations’ budgets getting denied, sometimes they’re missing stuff they already have. I’ve seen people overestimate their attendance, but you have to be realistic. SA is bureaucratic and it can be difficult to understand as an outsider. I want to be that person to help these organizations and consult with them and provide a resource for them.”

Dutton, newly elected vice president of the SU chapter of the NAACP, has now taken on the role at the chief chair of the BLN as well. Her responsibilities include presiding over executive committee meetings, those that bring all presidents together once a month, setting the agenda for these meetings, and calling the meetings to order.

“I believe right now the BLN has two major goals,” said Dutton. “One goal will be to get all 35 presidents to attend the BLN meetings. Although we had a great turnout of 21 representatives, we want to make sure every organization is represented at these meetings. The goal is to unify all the Black organizations on campus and we can’t do that until everyone is at the table.”

The feedback the BLN received from the 21 present organization representatives was positive and congratulatory. During the second half of the meeting that was opened up for discussion and feedback about the network, students admitted to having similar ideas about organizing a network such as the BLN. Presidents and other students suggested that in order to help organizations take the network seriously, the mandatory BLN meetings could be written into organizations’ constitutions.

The presidents also voted for the first time on two different agenda items: the number of monthly meetings presidents can miss before consequence (which is now two) and that every RSO should add attendance of monthly BLN meetings to the president’s position in their constitution. Lastly, leaders brainstormed ideas for the BLN moving into next semester.

“We want to start implementing some of the ideas that we have already created through the BLN,” said Dutton. “This first meeting was so inspiring and positive. All the present representatives are ready to work and start making changes on this campus for the Black community. The BLN executive committee is ready to begin putting some of these ideas in action so that the community can start to see great possibilities that can happen when we, as Black organizations, unify.”

Ujima: Black Involvement Fair is one of the many ideas that were brainstormed at the meeting. This event was proposed in order to help Black, first-year students navigate and discover the many historically Black organizations on campus since they are tough to find during SU’s traditional Involvement Fair in the fall.