Fresno State Black Student Union attends Afrikan Black Coalition Conference at Cal Poly SLO, builds on-campus community

students at ABC Conference

Originally from Sacramento, Krysalyn Jacobs decided to attend Fresno State after she was contacted by a staff member from the Black Student Success Initiative. Jacobs said, “I felt the love through the phone and felt welcomed even though I wasn’t there yet.”

Jacobs is now in her fourth year at the university, majoring in women’s, gender and sexuality studies. 

While Jacobs had a circle of friends on campus during her first couple of years at Fresno State, she found herself wanting to make new connections and become a part of a larger community. She attended a meeting for the university’s Black Student Union (commonly referred to as BSU), which was rebuilding after years of being inactive. 

“BSU has been inactive since 2019 and it was imperative that students still needed this club as a conduit for community and culture,” said Sade Johnson, director of Fresno State’s Black Student Success Initiative (BSSI). Under Johnson’s leadership, BSSI was able to bring BSU back to campus. 

Jacobs volunteered for a leadership position within the organization, and made it her mission to make the BSU more active and visible on campus. Jacobs said, “It was my personal goal to bring in more people.”

Johnson said, “BSU has grown and continues to be consistent with meetings and listening to the voices of their members. They have been instrumental in increasing participation in BSSI programs and the majority have learned and participated in a high-impact experience through this club’s platform.”  

In her second year as secretary for BSU, Jacobs has seen her role within the group expand — taking on more responsibility and working with the rest of the executive board to get members to this year’s Afrikan Black Coalition Conference. 

The Afrikan Black Coalition Conference (ABC)  is an annual three-day gathering open to Black student leaders, focused on leadership development, political education and student organizing. This year’s conference was hosted at Cal Poly SLO, and attended by students across California and Nevada. 

Johnson said, “ABC helps train our leaders throughout the academic year with succession planning and leadership retreats.”

25 students from Fresno State’s BSU attended the conference; double the number of attendees from last year. 

“At this event, you are exposed to many different people, opportunities, and experiences. Every day, we interact with hundreds of Black students, faculty, and community members to foster safe spaces and connections,” BSU’s president, Aneisha Goodlow, said. “There were several workshops held on Saturday and Sunday, including CPR certification and ‘Birthing Justice for Black Women,’ while on the side of entertainment, each school had the opportunity to participate in a chant competition and a gala event hosted in the evening.”

“For Black students it is a haven to be around people who look like you and have your best interests in mind. BSU and ABC are not only social clubs but are advocacy groups with decades-long histories,” Goodlow said. 

Jacobs said, “I’ve never seen so many Black college students in one place like I did at ABC. These spaces allow people to not feel alone, while also motivating each other to reach their academic and personal goals. They make you believe in yourself, that Black people can also go to college, get a degree, and make a difference.”

Approaching the end of her academic career at Fresno State, Jacobs plans to continue building spaces for her peers to have safe connections and find friends. She is also looking ahead, wanting to make a positive impact in the lives of women and children in the community. She said, “I like making a difference in people’s lives, motivating people, asking them what’s going on and letting them talk about it. I know what it’s like to feel alone, and I want to create that safe space for others, to let them know they’re not alone.”

To learn more about BSU and connect with students like Jacobs, visit https://www.instagram.com/fresnostatebsu/. 

by MARISA MATA

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