Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

Sufia Alam Editor in Chief sufia@uab.edu

As the first Muslim and Indian Editor in Chief of the Kaleidoscope, I have great pride when it comes to this paper. As a publication, we have highlighted the incidences of nationalism on campus, the stories of students who don’t know their future through the rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Action program, and shared the journeys of people who have impacted our culture such as Alfonso Lincoln Ribeiro Sr., or as we know him, Carelton Banks from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

In honor of Black History Month, this issue will solely highlight the black voices of UAB and Birmingham.

You will find stories of black business owners, the story students celebrating and honoring the legacy of Camille Armstrong, an editor’s list of our favorite movies by black directors and a feature on some of the most prominent black student organizations on campus.

But highlighting black voices does not need end in February.

While we may cover diversity of stories every issue, all publications, including Kaleidoscope need to have more conscious effort to make sure all voices of UAB are highlighted every issue.

Our student body is 56.3% white, 26.1% African American and 6.2 % Asian. The Kaleidoscope will always strive to represent campus and give all students of different backgrounds, experiences and mentalities a voice.

After this issue, I hope every paper or article you read from the Kaleidoscope you will find your voice heard and represented. While we continue to honor the voices of the underrepresented the rest of this month, the Kaleidoscope will continue this sentiment throughout the year.

‘Shining a light’ on student equality STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

Student organizations aim at connection, and cultural education Juhee Agrawal Contributing Reporter jagrawal@uab.edu

Tooni Oyewusi, junior in biomedical engineering, serves as president of the African Student Association (ASA). Oyewusi said because she moved from Lagos, Nigeria to come to college, she joined ASA to find a community. Oyewusi said she initially did not know if she should celebrate Black History Month because she is not African American.

“But I’m happy with the phase I’m in right now,” Oyewusi said. “I’m still learning and getting more comfortable with black history here. For me, it’s about being thankful to previous immigrants who have come and paved the way for me to come to school here, and for future generations to be able to do so.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY AASO

Veronica Mixon, junior in psychology and African American studies, is president of the African American Studies Organization (AASO). She said she joined to find a niche that she could feel comfortable in. “I’ve been to private school at predominantly white institutions before, so I wanted to find a space where I could meet other people who are going through that identity formulation as well,” Mixon said. “I wanted to learn more about where I came from as well as other cultural backgrounds that have similar histories, similar situations and things of that nature.”

Mixon said she is joyful when Black History Month rolls around. “Each time, there’s something new coming up or a new boundary being broken,” Mixon said. “It’s a time when so many black people get even more outspoken with what they say and how they feel. It’s a space of more positivity and love.”

She said through AASO, she found a family among professors and students. “Our director is literally a family member,” Mixon said. “(The students) are not just learning about what UAB can give you through education, but also what you can do for yourself as a person.”

Abani Varner-Williams, senior in broadcast journalism, is the president of the Black Student Awareness Committee (BSAC).

She said BSAC aims to create a safe space for African American students on campus to talk about different issues affecting them, socialize and receive networking opportunities.

“Our biggest thing is bringing us together as a community on campus and not being divided,” VarnerWilliams said. “At the end of the day, (the black student organizations) are all working towards one main goal, which is equality for all of us. We want to shine a light on all that is going on, and provide an avenue to then become active, even if they are not in BSAC.”

Varner-Williams said for her Black History Month is a positive and a negative. “I do like that we have a time of the year when we celebrate and uplift each other, but it should not be confined to one month,” Varner-Williams said. “We should be talking about us every day because we have been involved in everything with the building of this country.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY BSAC

Glenda Booker, junior in biomedical sciences, is the president of the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (MAPS).

She said their main focus is to provide resources for students underrepresented in the health professions to help make them competitive for professional school.

“We provide mentorships, shadowing, different networking opportunities and meetings geared towards professional development, like a resume building workshop and an African American men in medicine panel,” Booker said. “We want to be a family (to students) through studying, socials and other things.”

Booker said while Black History Month is a nice time to recognize how to make moves to become better as a society, we need to learn more about black history outside of February.

“It’s kind of sad, because maybe you have the option to take African American studies, but if you’re not in courses like that, you don’t really spend the time that needs to be spent to learn more about our history and understanding the impact of our forefathers.” Booker said.