Hello. Darcel Rockett here, club adviser for the Black Student Union.
In the short time heading BSU with the help of Anesha Barefield, president, LaTesha and LaTasha Traylor, social and education chairs respectively, as well as treasurer, Dionte Yarbrough, I have tried to inject a little more diversity into the bloodstream that is JJC’s student population. We’ve done this in the form of quiz shows for Black History and Women’s History Month (both on Main and City Center Campuses); our members, who are also important pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that is minority-centered departments (i.e. Project Achieve, Project Success, and Peer Mentors), have also held dialogues on poetry, volunteered time to youth in Cabrini-Green, and hosted events that help the whole student--thanks to Money Mastery 101 and a roundtable on Diversity Day.
The actions of the group speak to BSU members’ interest in leaving a well-paved road for others who come after them, and honestly, I couldn’t be prouder. If these are the young adults we are handing the future to, I can rest easy knowing that the next generation of thinkers and leaders truly does care about giving back and moving our people forward.
Those in BSU realize that an individual is comprised of many different facets, all equally vital to the betterment of a strong, unified diverse environment. After witnessing the uncertainty of students during the Main Street event in January (the looks on passersby that seemed to reveal body language that asked: should I stop or come to a meeting?), BSU brainstormed on ideas on how to be more inclusive and less segregating where students are involved. We want to find a medium for the millennium that melds multiculturalism in Joliet from high school to college, and if there isn’t one, we’ll create one.
One person can make a difference, but a group of people can make a lasting impact. As Kathy Wilson, a newspaper columnist from Ohio, states: ”There is no weekend visitation on racial and cultural responsibility; it’s yours as much as it is ours.”