Black Student Union Hosts Panel Discussion

Black Student Union Hosts Panel Discussion

Public speaking is nerve-wracking for just about anyone, but especially for a teenager about to publicly share their very personal experience of what it’s like to be Black at their predominantly white school. Members of the Black Student Union at University School of Milwaukee did just that during a panel discussion held in February, in which they overcame their nerves to share their experience at USM. Their goal was to hold an open-ended conversation with their peers, establish a legacy within the Upper School, and continue to work towards making USM a more inclusive environment for students of color. 

The discussion was moderated by Emily Igwike ’24, who presented a set of questions to panelists Neema Mollel ’24, Zindzi Frederick ’23, Jordan Thomas ’23, and Gregory Smith ’22. The questions covered a range of topics, including what it is like to be a Black student at USM, whether they feel comfortable voicing their concerns at school, and if they feel supported by their peers. Freshmen and sophomores attended in person, and a recorded version is available for anyone who is interested (see below). 

“Leading up to it I felt really nervous,” said Mollel, “because I knew I had to speak authentically about my personal experience with my peers—people I would see and talk to outside of this panel. And I didn’t know what they would think of me or this event.”

At the beginning of the event, the atmosphere was charged. The panelists didn’t know how the audience would react, and the audience didn’t know what the panelists would say. Nothing like this had been done before, and everyone was nervous. Gregory Smith ’22 addressed the issue head on: “There’s this fear of making people uncomfortable,” he said, “but imagine how we feel sitting up here. We’re talking about ourselves, our identities, and our problems in a predominantly white institution to predominantly white students. It’s going to be uncomfortable for everybody, but we’ll make it through and you’ll be more informed after than you were before.” After Smith acknowledged the elephant in the room, everyone seemed to relax.

“I’m really proud of what the Black Student Union panelists accomplished,” said Stuart Cushman, head of Upper School. “It takes a lot of nerve to be vulnerable in such a public space, and we are all better for their efforts.” 

“Our Justice, Equite, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) work at USM is all about belonging, and if we don’t intentionally create opportunities for discourse to occur all year and across divisions, then there is no way to move forward as an organization with a healthy culture and community,” said Dr. Gina Haughton, director of equity and student success and BSU adviser. “I am so proud of our community, and am reminded of a quote, ‘A good listener truly wants to know the speaker.’ The only way to do this work is together.”

The reaction from the event was largely positive, with panelists earning well-deserved praise from teachers, administrators, and students. “When it was over I was relieved that I didn’t have to stress about it anymore,” said Mollel. “But it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, especially once we all got comfortable sitting up there. I would definitely do it again.”  

  • JEDI
Members of the Black Student Union on stage