As we move into the last few weeks of the semester, things are getting intense. Finals are approaching, my course loads are becoming heavier, and I have found myself reflecting on my favorite moments to find the motivation to keep pushing forward. One of the absolute highlights of my semester was helping plan and attend the Building Sisterhood Forum, an event that reminds me of the beauty of community.
The event was hosted by the board of Sisters of the Yam, which I serve on with three other amazing students. Sisters of the Yam is an affinity space for Black women and femme-identifying individuals at Oberlin. The event occurred at the Hotel at Oberlin and was open to all members of the Oberlin community, including students, faculty, staff, and townspeople.
The intentions behind creating the forum were to build a space for the Black women and femmes of Oberlin to celebrate our accomplishments and process our losses together as a sisterhood. Our goal was for attendees to feel comfortable, confident, and uplifted. There are only so many Black women and femmes in Oberlin, and we wanted guests to feel the community and support that surrounds them.
The week leading up to the forum, I was filled with nerves. It can be scary when you don’t know if the people who RSVP'd will show up and if everything will go as planned. But when the evening arrived and I greeted people at the welcome table, I felt calm and grounded.
The event began with a welcome from Sisters of the Yam’s chair, followed by dinner, a message from our keynote speaker, a panel discussion, and table talk.
Some of the guiding questions we prepared for our attendees were:
- What challenges have you had to navigate here at Oberlin as a Black woman/femme?
- How do you practice self-care here as a Black woman/femme?
- How has the presence of sisterhood shaped your experience here, if it all?
- How do we strengthen our sense of sisterhood?
While sitting at my table, the emotion that I remember feeling the strongest was gratitude. Gratitude for those who attended the event, for my fellow board members, for the inspiring words from our speakers, for the ability to come together and authentically share our experiences, and for the love and appreciation I held for those around me. Everyone that I spoke to after the event told me how needed the event was. How it made them feel supported and uplifted and allowed them to just be.
College life can be fast-paced and difficult. People get busy, and schedules don’t always align. This night provided me with a much needed reminder of the community I have, even if I don’t see them every day.
Oberlin, of course, is not perfect. No college is. But evenings like these remind me that it's a space where people can build what they need. This was our first Building Sisterhood Forum and we hope to make it an annual event. I look forward to more moments like this as we continue to expand our organization and watch the Oberlin community grow alongside us.
