For decades, the Black Student Union (BSU) has been a critical organization at Middlebury, dedicated to creating a safe and inclusive space for Black students. The BSU meets every Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in the Coltrane Lounge to foster meaningful conversations surrounding racial equity while addressing the unique challenges and isolating experiences of attending a predominantly white institution as a Black student.
Over the course of the summer, current BSU board members had long, impassioned discussions over Zoom to brainstorm strategies that would elevate the organization from a club to a thriving cultural institution for generations of Black students at Middlebury to come.
“In order for us to even have community, we need culture,” said Dominic Browne ’26, treasurer of the BSU. “That is our goal of the BSU. Every one of us [Board members] had a period of time where we felt that we did not belong. And we need this to be more heard, and recognized at the very least. We are over the performative acts of things, and we want to create that culture of belonging, because this is not just about the BSU, this is about Black students just living here.”
The primary focus of the BSU is to ensure that Black students feel a sense of belonging rather than isolation at Middlebury, according to Browne. They aim to cultivate a campus atmosphere where their presence is celebrated, their voices are actively listened to and their experiences are consistently validated.
“There was a period here where I felt like this is not where I was allowed to be,” said Arsema Lecko ’26, co-President of the BSU. “It felt illegal walking by the chapel, and I thought, ‘This was not created for me,’ which although in a way can be empowering, it can also be very isolating, and make you feel like you don’t belong. But that is so not true. We are just trying to show everyone that we all deserve to be here.”
A key strategy the organization employed at the start of the school year to boost engagement and attendance in their revamp involved actively reaching out to Black students campus-wide and extending invitations to join the BSU meetings.
“When a Black person comes up to you and personally invites you to an organization, you feel like you belong there,” Lecko said.
Co-President Cynthia Walton ’25 also experienced feelings of isolation during her first year at Middlebury. It was when the president at the time of the BSU personally approached her and introduced her to the BSU that she discovered others who had similar experiences.
“It was very nice to see people with shared experiences then,” Walton said. “I could see however there was more of a disconnect then, and that is something we wanted to change within the BSU. People would come to meetings and then leave. But now this year, I am seeing everyone, everywhere, and that is something we really are pushing for, a sense of community.”
The BSU has already organized many events and discussions for Black students on campus this year. These initiatives provide a dedicated space where individuals can escape the constant white gaze and white expectations that are faced every day, the organization’s leadership said.
The club has hosted a variety of different kinds of events this fall such as discussions on the potential commodification or sharing of Black culture, in addition to volunteering opportunities and social events. The BSU intends to continue hosting a series of similar discussions throughout the year, offering BSU members a safe and encouraging platform for open dialogue.
The BSU will also host events for Alumni of Color Weekend, an event taking place on the weekend of Oct. 20–22 which celebrates college alumni and students of color. The BSU will host the annual Black Women's Brunch, where female-identifying Black alumni and students alike have a space to talk about their experiences at Middlebury together.
On that same weekend, the BSU will collaborate with Special Collections for an open house exhibit titled Black Students at Middlebury, which will showcase Black student life and the BSU throughout the years.
On Halloween weekend, the club will collaborate with other student organizations including PALANA, Alianza at Midd, Women of Color and UMOJA, Middlebury’s African Student Organization, for the annual Spooky Soiree, which will serve as a fun social event for all people of color on campus.
“We want to bridge that connection between Black people and other people of color, so we are planning future collaborations as well with various other cultural orgs on campus for some events,” Lecko said.
The BSU also plans to have student liaisons who will represent various class years as well as athletic teams. These student liaisons will have a dual responsibility, acting as both advocates for their respective grade or group during BSU meetings and sharing information among Black students within their class years.
According to US News and World Report, Black students currently make up only 5% of the Middlebury student population, making the BSU an essential resource for this underrepresented group on campus. Middlebury's mission statement underscores the commitment to creating an "inclusive, residential environment" for all students, but according to BSU members, to truly achieve this mission, it is imperative to establish spaces where students who are often marginalized can cultivate a deep sense of belonging within the context of a predominantly white institution.
“The BSU is at the forefront of changing a culture on campus.” Regan Olusegun ’26, event coordinator for the BSU said. “We are inspiring and teaching the first years that we can change how it feels to be Black at Middlebury. It is crazy to think that in a year from now, or two years from now, a Black student at Middlebury will have a very different testimony as to what it is like being here than we would have had last year. That in itself is the most rewarding thing.”
Mandy Berghela '26 (she/her) is a Senior Local Editor.
Mandy previously served as a local editor and staff writer. She is a Political Science major with a History minor. Mandy serves as co-president for Southeast Asian Society (SEAS), a member on the Judicial Board, and an intern for the Conflict Transformation Collaborative. In her free time, she enjoys cycling and reading fantasy novels.
