ESTHER ALATISHE

Kafilat Abdul (KA): What was your role in Black World, and when did you serve in this position?

Esther Alatishe (EA): I was the President and Editor-in-Chief of Black World during the 2021-2022 academic school year.

KA: What motivated you to join Black World?

EA: When I first heard about the club being a space for Black students to speak and write about our culture and issues in our communities. I loved the energy at the general body meetings (GBMs) and how welcoming everyone was. And then, when I learned about the club’s history, I knew I wanted to be a part of it even more. And back then, I loved to write, so it felt right for me.

KA: What were your goals for Black World during your tenure?

EA: My goal was to increase our engagement. Being president post-COVID, the people that were a part of Black World when I joined in 2019 were alums in 2021. With this, I had to bring awareness about the club mainly through social media, through DMs and flyers, and by connecting with other clubs. Eventually, I became focused on producing content because once enough people knew about Black World, I knew we now needed to put out content, like videos and articles, so people could see what the club was about. I also wanted to create a welcoming environment so those who were more shy and quiet would still feel comfortable being a part of the club and contributing however they wanted. Also, within the Black and Latinx communities, there are many cultural backgrounds, so welcoming those perspectives was also a goal.

KA: What was the climate like for Black and Latinx folks during your time at Stony Brook?

EA: During my time at Stony Brook, the social life on campus was ‘dry’ at times, especially after the lockdown. You could sense that people were still isolating themselves socially, which was depressing for many. So people needed reasons to get together after that, and I wanted Black World to be a positive space to do that. I also remember the sensitivity surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, when we saw many performative things everywhere, including Stony Brook. But then, in 2021, it also felt like we were supposed to return to the old “normal” way.

KA: How did this organization’s actions influence the environment on campus at the time?

EA: We were limited in what we could do, so we used social media and word of mouth, but our advisors helped. We were good at supporting other clubs and showing up for their events. After an event, we’d have reviews and pictures on Instagram or our website. We were also able to provide a space for our community to come together and discuss topics that affect us, whether in a video format like our roundtables, a written form like the poetry and articles on the website, or a podcast. We were a platform for people to have their work and art shown to an audience. We also felt it was essential to inform the campus community of our alumni and the history of Black World, especially with our archives.

KA: What impact did Black World have on your academic career and campus experience?

EA: Black World gave me many skills, especially my leadership and communication skills. Specifically, Black World gave me the founda- tion to be a better speaker and work better with different personalities. Communication was important as a Political Science major, so it helped me academically. Our club GBMs and discussions also helped give me different perspectives on some of the social issues I’d later discuss in class.

KA: What advice do you want to give future successors on what it means to be Editor-in-Chief/President?

EA: Keep Black World welcoming and open to hearing different ideas and being collaborative. Also, I would say to understand that numbers aren’t everything. There were times when there were only three people in our GBMs, which is small but still fulfilling the club’s point: being a space for Black and Latinx Stony Brook students to do things and get together. The club is winning as long as people can have that community together.

KA: What do you wish for the future of Black World?

EA: Make it a space for all Black people and Latinx to feel welcome and safe, no matter where you grew up. I want this to be a club too where LGBTQ+ Black and Latinx folks don’t have to hide or downplay their identity, and also definitely a club where Black women and Latinas feel like they can join and take on leadership positions.