Campus Advocacy
During my undergraduate career, I dedicated time to creating a healthier environment for Black students to thrive on campus. In my time, I sat on the UMSI Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, co-led the Black@SI student organization, and served as a student representative on the William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center Director Search Committee.
For this work, I’m honored to have been the first student representing the School of Information to receive the prestigious Martin Luther King JR. Spirit Award.
UMSI Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
Black students are largely underrepresented at UMSI, UofM, and in the majority of universities across the nation. Throughout my four years working in environments where collaboration is strongly encouraged, it’s been disheartening to routinely be the only Black person in the room, group, and class.
In this position, I spent time in weekly meetings with UMSI faculty and staff advocating for the needs of Black students within my degree program with an emphasis on Black student recruitment and the cultivation of a supportive environment for current and future generations of Black Wolverines.
Black@SI
Black@SI is a student organization consisting of Black prospective, undergraduate, and graduate students involved/interested in the School of Information or a career in tech. We create space for the few Black students here to network with each other, connect with alumni, and develop a sense of community.
In my position, I hosted a professional development workshop where I advised participants with resume and portfolio tips and strategies for enhancing personal networks. Additionally, I lobbied for and secured funding for members to attend the Afrotech 2021 conference where they were exposed to recruiters, fellow students, and professionals seeking out fellow Black talent for roles at companies ranging from startups to big tech giants. Simultaneously, I assisted with event planning and served as a liaison to elevate student concerns to the DEI committee as they were raised.
William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center
The William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center (Trotter) is the third iteration of a building that began as Trotter House, a safe space for Black students, created on the backs of Black Student Activism. Officially opened in 2019 with the title “Multicultural Center” located centrally on the University of Michigan campus, the search for a building Director was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic and has thus been operated by an interim team.
In 2022, I was selected as a Student Representative to the Search Committee and was part of the reignited national search for the Trotter Director. Here, I joined conversations with committee members about the vision for the center, participated in candidate interviews, and facilitated student-candidate Q&A sessions.
As a part-time worker as a Building Manager at Trotter, long-time occupant of the space since it’s inception, and Black Student Advocate on campus, I held this role close to my heart as I recognized the significance and value the space brings to underrepresented communities, especially the Black Community.
