Small communities require recognition. At Upper Arlington High School, clubs have the invaluable ability to bring together students with similar backgrounds, allowing them to form relationships and effect positive change. Among the most underrepresented demographics at the high school is African American students, who make up just 2% of the student population according to US News and World reports. The Black Student Union (BSU) provides an avenue for these students to establish a community with their peers.
Striving for greater representation, co-presidents Amalia Cardoso and Brooke Vaughan revamped the BSU last year with a mission to create a more supportive environment for Black students throughout the school.
“Our goal is to create a space for Black students not necessarily just within the club, but within the school, especially because we are a very small population,” Vaughan explained.
The BSU was initially founded three years ago by Vaughan’s older brother and a group of friends who felt disconnected from the school community and recognized the need for a space where students could connect over shared experiences and feel understood. Working under the guidance of Jacob Ramsey, who served as the faculty supervisor, the group of students succeeded in establishing the BSU as an official club. Since then, Ramsey has moved on from teaching, and the current faculty supervisor is DuJuan White.
Vaughan’s brother and his friends’ feelings of isolation resonated with others beyond even their graduating class. Senior and current BSU co-president Amalia Cardoso has experienced similar struggles.
“It’s hard to find people that understand. Some people might be able to sympathize, or sometimes they will even [offer the opinion that] maybe [people making racist comments] didn’t mean it that way,” Cardoso said.
The underrepresentation of Black students is not unique to only UAHS. US News and World reports states that in neighboring districts, Black students also comprise less than 10% of the student body, with Bexley having the highest percentage at 7%. Despite these statistics, the BSU remains committed to enacting change and advocates for a more inclusive environment.
“If there was more artwork, more projects and more things that are fun and engaging, people would really appreciate it and be able to see themselves more. When I see a piece of artwork that has a Black person in it or a tribute to a book where it says ‘Happy Black History Month,’ I get a little happy in my heart…if we had that, it would help people feel braver and better about their identity,” Cardoso explained.
The BSU has made progress filling the gaps in representation by manning the Friday music during February, working a table at the hUmAn Connection Festival and setting up posters around the high school hallways in past years. They even work with the high school’s library to create a display of curated books by Black authors during Black History Month. Librarian Amanda Viau described her role in these efforts.
“I try to fill the missing holes from history class,” Viau said. “Everybody knows MLK Jr, probably Malcolm X, but there’s so many others that don’t get the attention.”
Promoting diversity of stories has taken effort from both the staff and the school. In the past year, Viau predicts that the school has spent close to 10,000 dollars on books- these are ordered and shipped in throughout the year. This has allowed the scope of the stories represented in the library to reflect more accurately the ever changing experiences of the student body.
In the past, our understanding of the world and our connections to one another were shaped by the stories passed down through generations. These stories carried the wisdom, struggles, and experiences that bound us together. To ensure future generations can continue to learn from the past, we need to create an environment where people feel safe and encouraged to share their own stories.
“[It is important] to find a group of people that can relate to you and share their stories,” Vaughn said.
