While the pandemic and remote learning led to numerous Farmingdale State College clubs temporarily shutting down, many have come roaring back stronger than ever, thanks to the efforts of determined students.
Among those, the Black Student Union (BSU) is thriving, having been rejuvenated by Bossuet Jules,’24, with help from Asse Diallo, ’23, who restarted the College’s NAACP Youth & College Division Chapter. Since the BSU became active in the summer of 2022, about 50 students have joined. The BSU is part of the NAACP and they engage in joint activities.
“I started it to create a community so that people who look like me have a place to go,” said Jules, adding that the BSU is open to everyone. “I wanted to create a sense of community for people of color. It’s a place to be free to be themselves without worry.” It would be great to see more students of color on campus, he added.
The BSU has its serious and fun side; besides sponsoring events such as a pajama party to kick off the return to school and hosting movies, BSU members joined with the NAACP for voter-registration drives and voter-education programs.
Jules said he draws inspiration for his advocacy from W.E.B. Du Bois, one of the founders of the NAACP, who “stood for something great,” he noted, as well as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the women in his family; his mother, sister, and grandmother. “I see them persevere and the sacrifices they make.”
A Computer Security Technology major from Uniondale, Jules said when considering which college to attend during the pandemic, he decided to stay local and build a community at home, and that has “absolutely” happened, especially when in-person learning resumed. “I made very close friends with people after just being on campus two months,” Jules said. “I encourage people to get involved; when you branch out and understand other people’s stories, the better you will be.”