Blackline magazine released, gives voice to community

Members of the Black Action Society came together in celebration Thursday night to introduce the release of their yearly magazine, Blackline. 

In honor of Indaba week, which is celebrated by the society at the beginning of every school year, the party at the O’Hara Student Center at 8:30 p.m. drew more than 50 people. Indaba week is the coming together of the organization in order to talk about prevalent and current issues within the community. The intellectual week has continued since the club was founded.

“We wanted the black voice to be heard around campus,” Black Action Society President Chandel Boozer, a senior majoring in communication and rhetoric, said.

Boozer has been involved with the group since she transferred to Pitt her sophomore year.

Since its foundation in 1968, the organization has focused on spreading the black voice throughout the community. The historical establishment of the Black Action Society at the University began with a fight between the school’s president and black students to bring their voices forward. 

When Black Action Society came to Pitt in 1968 at the height of the civil rights movement, 48 students locked themselves in the Cathedral of Learning computer lab and created a list of demands that aimed to bring equality to the black community. After presenting this list to then-President Wesley Posvar and insisting every demand be met, the University officially recognized Black Action Society as an organization. 

“It’s a welcoming week to the black community,” Boozer said of Indaba week. “A meeting of the minds.”

“It’s a great way to express creativity,” society co-chair Breanna Durham, a senior writing major,  said. 

Blackline, the group’s publication, is run and written by the members of Black Action Society as well as other students outside of the organization. Published monthly, copies are always available in the organization’s office located on the sixth floor of the William Pitt Union. 

“We wanted to keep it student-based to showcase the talent on Pitt’s campus,” Boozer said. “We give our own views.”

The majority of ideas that come up in the magazine are brainstormed by co-chairs Durham and Kamari Somers, who reach out to the community to find writers. The Steering Committee, a board of the organization’s members, suggest ideas for the magazine as well.

The release party is the society’s biggest way of creating awareness. Students write about a multitude of topics such as arts, poetry, music, issues in other organizations and their own experiences. The publication aims to highlight the group’s goal of promoting the cultural, educational, political and social needs of students. 

As attendees crowded the banquet room, they awaited performances from hip-hop group Premium Orange, an acapella group known as The Vocals, a solo rap artist, The Infamous E, and even an act of Brazilian-inspired martial arts.

“I’m here mainly to meet diverse people,” said freshman Claire Dempsey, who decided to open up her interests and make her way to the event. “I might want to write for Blackline, too.”

Black Action Society holds many events throughout the year, several of which include professional speakers such as Hill Harper, a noted film, TV and a stage actor. Harper spoke at the O’Hara Student Center on Friday, Sept. 13 from 7 to 9 p.m.  

Members said that having speakers come to discuss their views on the black community has provided them with insight on making their voices heard. 

According to Durham, hearing stories about African-American experiences and issues inspired her to speak out more to the community. 

The new issue contains 30 pages of student voices sharing their opinions of grave topics as well as experiences of studying abroad. The magazine also serves to alert students to opportunities both on campus as well as in the greater Pittsburgh area. 

In this month’s edition, one of the features is a piece written on Gabrielle Union, an actress who received the Fierce and Fearless Award from Essence magazine. Union previously confessed during an acceptance speech that she acted harshly and arrogantly to reach her goals.

Junior Dani Perdue wanted to share Union’s story through her piece.  “People should know about this,” author and junior Dani Perdue said. “I just thought it was real.”

 The profile was Perdue’s Blackline debut. 

The issue also presents cultural analysis and reviews: Somers critiques her top five movies of 2013, commenting on the music and cinematography — one of many short opinion pieces.

“Diversity is a huge thing,” Durham said, who joined the organization halfway through her freshman year. “We want to emphasize that we’re here.”