Student Organization Spotlight: African American Society
Are you a black student on campus looking for a safe environment where you can share your thoughts and experiences freely and even make friends in the process? Please look no further than African American Society, also commonly known as Afro Am.
Founded in 1968, Afro Am is a longstanding student-run organization at BSU that remains committed to uplifting black and minority students on campus. They do so through holding insightful, open discussion events, sometimes featuring guest speakers such as Dr. Jibril Solomon from the School of Social Work to help facilitate conversation, reflection, and storytelling from both speakers and students. In the past few semesters alone, Afro Am has held conversations about navigating being a minority student at a PWI (predominantly white institution) and about mental health and self care as it pertains to the black community.
If you’re looking for more casual nights of fun and talking to potential new friends, Afro Am has also held events such as black history-centered Kahoot and Jeopardy games for learning more about black history and showing off your pre-existing knowledge about black history, with topics ranging from music to inventors and more. Disappointed you missed those? Don’t worry, there’s plenty more events in store, such as an upcoming game night full of friendly competition and connection happening on March 3 and later, on March 17, a relaxing Paint and Chill will be also hosted by the club.
Nervous about attending an event despite not being a minority? Don’t be—all members of the Bridgewater State community are welcome to participate in and attend Afro Am’s meetings and events, from students to faculty, family, and friends, regardless of cultural or ethnic background.
If you’re interested in getting involved in a welcoming community, learning more about and discussing minority issues, feeling valued and supported by peers, and even having the chance at some networking and leadership opportunities, African American Society is the place to be. Afro Am meets every other week for their regular meetings on Tuesdays in RSU 202 from 5:15–6:00 PM, though events may vary in time and location.
