BSU Club Profile

Members of the BSU Club pose during one of their club meetings.

Photo courtesy: Jenna Jemison

Members of the BSU Club pose during one of their club meetings.

One of the clubs here on campus is Black Student Union, advised by Ms. Jenna Jemison and Mr. Ellis Stevens with senior Dylan Little as the club’s president. 

Because BSU is a district-wide club, the group holds events together with the nearby schools like Los Osos and Etiwanda High Schools. One upcoming event that they’re having is Roll, Bounce & Skate Night, which is a meet and greet event held on Thursday, Dec. 16 at Skate Express from 5:30-8:30 p.m. BUS is also encouraging students to invite their friends and family. BSU also has other fun upcoming events that are beneficial towards the students.

Sophomore Yazmine Corbett said, “BSU is very fun, the people are very friendly and cool.” 

Corbett also said, “The things I’ve learned from BSU is that we all come as one, and we are not ashamed to be who we are as an individual.” 

Corbett says that BSU is a welcoming club, and she recommends people join. 

The purpose of BSU on this campus is to advocate the needs of our students, as well as, give the students tools, knowledge, and mentorship for them to grow and be successful,” said Jemison. “It is a place where many of our students feel a sense of belonging and connection here at RCHS.” 

Jemison said that here at Rancho, “we continue with that goal as we strive to promote social, cultural, and political awareness of Black issues while empowering, teaching, and discussing the Black experience. BSU is a place for students to build community with each other and the school community as a whole. We also connect students with colleges, careers, and scholarships available to them.” 

There were many organizations created for African Americans before BSU, but the first time BSU was an officially-recognized organization at a school was at San Francisco State University in 1966. Shortly after, many schools established a BSU on their campuses. 

BSU also provides several opportunities for Black students. For example, leaders in these organizations across the nation planned strikes and sit-ins on campus. Moreover, most districts like Chaffey Joint Union hold district-wide events for many Black students to meet each other and take trips to different colleges to provide students with an opportunity to visit various college campuses.

BSU has built a safe space for Black students to participate in excellence, express themselves, and celebrate their culture.