Black students for Black students: Creating spaces to thrive in 2022 and beyond The activism of Black women on campus to foster community and create a culture of inspiration for future Black students Novera Shenin Features Reporter feel like you belong here has always been Toa luxury for some. This might be hard to believe, as with a
couple of searches on Instagram it does not take long for a Marauder to discover at least one club, organization, or activity they may wish to affiliate themselves with. However, much of the accessibility that we often take for granted in our digital age did not come without the efforts championed by those who were the most excluded in the first place. Student-led organizations on campus, when properly acknowledged and given the resources, serve as valuable hubs for networking opportunities, academic and professional guidance and social interactions. While such goals may be the intentions of allowing students to congregate like this, unfortunately, this is historically not reflective of the experiences of Black students at McMaster. Consequently, there continues to be a need for Black students to have access to the same caliber of resources as their peers. These must be initiatives which are institutionally afforded, that acknowledge and take into consideration the unique cultural positionalities of Black students and Black students with intersectional identities. Fortunately, there are already students working to create, secure and maintain concrete spaces for Black students at McMaster even after they graduate.
cycle, this initiative has worked to increase the number of Black students within the class of 2025. Aside from her extensive involvement in the BBA, Samson has regularly volunteered as a peer supporter to marginalized students for McMaster Students Union’s Women and Gender Equity Network and continues to extend her events experience within WGEN as an events co-coordinator. Samson is currently completing a thesis with the department of psychiatry and neurosciences on first episode psychosis and cannabis use disorder among racialized youth. She hopes to explore how Black youth can hold conversations around this culturally sensitive topic with loved ones and get the empathy
Bethel Samson Recognizing the lack of diversity in her program, Bethel Samson is a fourth-year health sciences student who decided to take action and address these concerns. “When I walked into my cell biology course as a first-year health sci, the first thing I noticed was the lack of Black students. Considering [that] my cohort, like others, will go on to impact the future of healthcare, it was vital to me that there be students who represent Canada’s diversity,” said Samson. The lack of representation in McMaster’s health sciences program prompted Samson to create the Black BHSc Association in collaboration with her peers in 2020. Serving as a co-founder and events coordinator, Samson and co-leaders of the BBA advocated to create equitable admissions for Black applications within the health sciences program with the goal of increasing the acceptance of Black students. Samson’s work within the BBA successfully crafted an application stream into the health sciences program for Black students only, named the Equitable Admissions for Black Applicants. EABA provides a process where applications would be reviewed by an all-Black admissions committee. Having successfully been implemented within the 2021 application 10 | F E AT U R E S
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 24, 2022
and proper care they need. Aspiring to work in healthcare, Samson intends to address the neglect Black communities face within the healthcare system. “I want to continue to grow our resiliency as a community. I want a future where if a Black patient comes in, they feel comfortable first and foremost. I hope in the future, Black firstyears do not have to go through the feelings of isolation and feeling like their behaviors are overly observed like I had to,” explained Samson. Samson hopes for the continued diversification of Mac’s student body to include the voices of more Black students in all facets of McMaster.
PHOTO C/O Bethel Samson
