BAS

February is Black History Month, and Black Action Society spent it celebrating, remembering… February is Black History Month, and Black Action Society spent it celebrating, remembering and educating Pitt students about, black people’s contributions to American history.

Both Bobby Seale, the co-founder of The Black Panther Party, and hip-hop musician Emcee Talib Kweli delivered speeches to large crowds at Pitt, and Maria Nicole Smith and Lawrence Crockett won the titles of Mr. and Miss Black University of Pittsburgh, during the past month.

According to BAS President Vanessa Gerideau, the events that also occur throughout the year, which include lectures, discussions and pageants, add to the sense of community that BAS is trying to create for Pitt’s black students.

BAS exists to give black students a “support system” while helping them to succeed and feel like “a part of this campus” by holding events and providing educational aid, Gerideau said.

But BAS welcomes students of other ethnicities to be involved and feel welcome in the organization.

“Our mission is to serve the black community, but we’re not militant,” Gerideau said. “We don’t not welcome people of other ethnicities and cultures. Really, [BAS is] just about community service and trying to bring life to this campus.”

Though BAS leaders want students of every culture and race to be engaged in their organization, they don’t feel it’s their responsibility to lead everyone to racial unity, Gerideau said.

“I don’t feel that it’s the duty of any black organization or any black student to be another person’s educator,” Gerideau said. “You can’t really expect black people, or people of any ethnic group, to get on a soap box and say, ‘We’re not like you think we are.'”

Instead, Gerideau said, she feels the University should take the initiative to move towards racial unity.

“There’re a lot of diversity awareness programs going on on campus. The problem is a lot of people don’t know about them,” Gerideau said. “I think the University needs to put diversity on the forefront.”

According to Gerideau, BAS is a culmination of eight different committees: Blackline, BAS’ magazine; Black Active Student Intercollegiate Struggle, a “hook up” with other black student organizations; Academic Affairs; Community Outreach, which focuses on volunteering; Membership; Political Actions; Public Relations; and Programming.

“I think, when each committee reaches 100 percent, they’re all equally important,” Gerideau said. “But some [committees] are more active than others.”

Officially, any black student who attends the University is considered a member of BAS. There are currently approximately 600 registered members with varying activity levels.

Paula Ilochi, a freshman, currently uninvolved with BAS, applauds their efforts concentrated on creating a positive black community.

“I think they [BAS does] a really good job here representing African-Americans,” Ilochi said. “They do a lot of activities.”

Another non-member, freshman Jonathan Sloan, agrees with Ilochi.

“I think they’re doing their job,” Sloan said. “Everyone here has been beneficial to the whole University.”

BAS leaders invite the entire campus to take part in their events. Those interested in becoming members can contact the organization by stopping by the office on the sixth floor of the William Pitt Union.

“We don’t try to dilute who we are,” Gerideau said. “We’re BAS, and some people may feel that name is threatening, but that’s what we’re all about. We serve the black community, and to me, that means serving the entire community.”