Black Student Unions Aren’t Just for Secondary Schools
Joseph Martinez • Cahn Fellow 2023
Carpenter Community Charter (Carpenter) is a public elementary school in Los Angeles with enrollment demographics that do not reflect the diversity associated with the second most populous city in the United States. At Carpenter, White students make up 60% of the student population and Black students represent 3%. That disparity in representation has led to a number of issues/challenges over the years for our Black students (and families) that have negatively impacted their school experience and contributed to lower attendance, less participation in extracurricular school programs, higher frequency of behavioral referrals to the office, and a general lack of community amongst our Black students (and families) to name just a few. Since 7.6% of our teaching staff is Black, the likelihood of Black students being assigned to a Black teacher or even being in the same class as another Black student has been low leading to a feeling of isolation and detachment.
To address this racial imbalance at Carpenter, a unifying support system is needed to foster student growth and development through diversity, academics, community building, and practicing Black culture. In addition, this support group will serve as a liaison between Black students and the campus administration to improve the overall school experience of students who identify as Black. It is important that this safe space be led by staff members who reflect the students it will be serving in order to foster a sense of identity and belonging. Furthermore, this support group should meet in an environment that reflects the greatness of Black culture through images, messaging, and literature to validate the Black experiences and foster a sense of belonging.
After a year of operation, we have observed some significant outcomes from the creation of a Black Student Union (BSU). Some of the most dramatic changes include an increase in relationship building amongst all students who identify as Black which has led to a unification of our Black families. Our students have used culturally diverse literature as a springboard for sensitive discussions on race and ethnicity and to boost student self-esteem and sense of belonging in the classroom. This learning has extended into the larger community as our students have participated in cultural exhibits and presentations around the city, and it has included other students who do not identify as Black to build an even larger support system that includes “allies” on our campus. Overall, there is a much greater sense of pride and togetherness between our Black students as a result of the BSU. A review of attendance data, participation in extracurricular activities, and academic progress all show significant gains for our Black students in comparison with data from the previous year.
