BSU holds 'What it Means to be Black' Seminar

The Troy University Black Student Union (BSU) held the ‘What It Means to be Black’ seminar last week in tandem with other Black History Month events happening across campus throughout the month of February.  

The seminar was held in Hal Hall with guest speaker Travis Lee utilizing his background as a Troy alumnus to establish a kinship and connection with fellow Black students. 

According to Troy BSU President NyAsia Chambers, a senior rehabilitation and disability services major from Lafayette, Alabama, the purpose of the seminar was to highlight Black identity, leadership and resilience while inspiring students to embrace cultural pride and personal growth.  

“Troy BSU hosted this event to create a space for meaningful conversations about the Black experience, to foster unity among students and to encourage leadership and empowerment on campus,” Chambers said.  

The seminar began with introductory statements made by BSU executive board members and an honorary introduction to speaker Travis Lee, a senior pastor of White-Water Missionary Baptist Church and drug abuse treatment specialist.  

Members of the Black Student Union with Travis Lee stand together for a photo. (Alex Ford photo)

Lee, who graduated from both Auburn and Troy, details his experiences as a student of color at Auburn University and the reasoning behind his hand in creating a Black Student Union on Auburn’s campus.  

This insight into his background allowed the audience to form an understanding of the key takeaways from the seminar – those takeaways being cultural identity, pride, resilience and personal storytelling, according to Chambers.  

“Troy helped me redevelop my mind, I joined the same Black Student Union you all are in right now, I joined the gospel choir and I learned about to how build my community, not how to detract from my community, and I took that same attitude back to Auburn,” Lee said. 

Students in the audience listened while Lee described the impacts of resilience in the face of adversity and the need to persevere despite the systemic and generational traumas that continue to take a toll on the Black community.  

The seminar concluded with time set aside for a question-and-answer segment where BSU members and members of the Troy community could establish perspectival and communal dialogue about what it means to be Black.  

“The Black Student Union plays a role on campus by fostering dialogue about race and identity by advocating for institutional change,” said Symone Sanks, a senior exercise science major and BSU vice president. 

Members of BSU have communicated that this seminar is not the beginning of on-campus seminars and events of this caliber as they have high hopes that this event inspires others that will also ignite and inspire students of color to unite and celebrate one another.  

“This event is not meant to be a one-time conversation, but a catalyst for ongoing dialogue and action that strengthens inclusion and unity across campus,” Chambers said.  

As Black History Month continues, BSU aims to encourage continued conversations about identity and culture at Troy throughout the year.