Reconstructing ABUSUA
By Oriana Syed

Extensive changes, both infrastructural and organizational, came into effect this year in the College’s Black Student Union, ABUSUA. With the ever-changing black student community, this year’s executive board is seeking to redefine the organization’s mission and capacity. One of their integral aims is to resume the legacy of service to the black students.
“The main thing we are trying to do is get black students involved in the organization. We want people to see that the group is for them and they have to become involved in order for the organization to survive,” Shinnerrie Jackson, Secretary of ABUSUA, said.
The organization held a focus group, for the first time in history, the week before fall break and received a vast number of responses from black students.
This landmark study aimed to tackle the present needs of the black student body in an effort to remodel ABUSUA for the students and future black leaders.
“We also want to stress the importance of differences within the black community and how we can use those differences to strengthen our community here at Oberlin College,” Jackson said.
ABUSUA has served as the backbone of the black student community at Oberlin since 1979. Their mission has been to jointly fortify, commemorate and bolster black students and their successes on Oberlin’s campus.
“ABUSUA has a powerful history. As a representative for the black student body, ABUSUA has produced prolific black leaders committed to fighting for global equality, racial and social justice,” co-chair person of ABUSUA Camille Newman said.
Elections in ABUSUA are held every year at the end of the second semester.
The ABUSUA officers this year are Camille Newman and Caleb Miller (co-chairs), Chaunetta Jones (treasurer) and Shinnerrie Jackson (secretary).

“There are a few more openings for officers and we would like to fill those before the second semester starts,” Jackson said.

“So if people are interested in becoming a part of the group on a more committed level then they should come to the events we are having and express their interest to one of the co-chairs,” he added.