Greetings Ubunye!
UVA’s Black Student Alliance (BSA) would like to extend our gratitude to the Black alumni community’s constant dedication to unifying the alumni community and providing resources within the University community and beyond!
As BSA transitions into the 2024-25 school year, we are excited to usher in our new Executive and Leadership team, comprised of students committed to propelling the voices and needs of Black students on Grounds through means of social-cultural activism, community service, and the facilitated building of bridges between students, alumni, faculty, and administration.
As we entered a new chapter of BSA, we decided that we wanted our branding to reflect the restructuring of the Black Student Alliance, as well. At our annual event, The Source, we officially announced our new logo! In the reveal graphic, you can see four pillars:
- The state of Virginia outline
- The Rotunda
- A set of hands holding a heart
- The Black power fist inside a star
All of these pillars reflect our emphasis on being an intentional community member on Grounds and beyond. We are hopeful that this new logo will withstand the test of time as our previous logo did, and we are so excited to have this new logo represent BSA!
BSA Event Coverage
To kick off the start of the school year, BSA committee chairs and leadership planned and hosted various welcome week events to usher in new first-year students and returning upperclassmen. Event programming was held daily, August 25-September 1 and included the following:
Brunch with BSA
Our welcome back brunch, hosted by the Special Events committee, was a great start to our welcome week with various food options such as eggs, waffles, chicken, etc. Students were able to mingle and meet new people.
Welcome Back Pool Party
The Welcome Back Pool Party was a collab between Student Organization for Caribbean Awareness (SOCA), Organization of African Students (OAS), Ethiopian and Eritrea Student Association (EESA), and BSA’s Special Events Committee. Students were able to socialize with others from different cultural backgrounds while also enjoying great food by the pool.
Who’s Hoo Advice Mixer
The Professional Development Committee hosted their annual “Who’s Hoo: Advice Mixer”. This was a panel-style event consisting of Black upperclassmen panelists in a variety of majors and clubs aimed at first-year students learning and asking for advice about UVA’s different schools, majors, and Contracted Independent Organizations (CIOs).
Get the Inside Scoop
Hosted by the Political Action Committee, “Get the Inside Scoop” was a game night that was centered around Black UVA information. The event was for all students but geared towards first-years, with hopes of getting them more acclimated with Black UVA’s history, faculty, resources, etc.
Paint & Sip
Historic and Alumni Relations, along with the Community Engagement Committee hosted a Paint and Sip event in collaboration with Africans United Communities of Charlottesville (AUCC). This event spotlighted AUCC’s mission and informed students of how to volunteer for the organization. This event was a relaxing and fun experience for all who attended!
Welcome Back Bash
In partnership with the Office of African American Affairs (OAAA), the Social-Cultural committee co-hosted a Black Friday event, which was a great way to end welcome week! It was an event filled with friends, food, and great resources!
Football Tailgate
Prior to our first home football game, BSA hosted a Football Tailgate. We would like to extend a thank you to Monica Brinkley-Davis (School ’97) for allowing us to co-host at her space! All our attendees were able to mingle with one another and get energized before watching our Hoos get their first win of the season!
The Source 2024
To end the week, we hosted our annual event, “The Source.” A day filled with celebrating our vibrant community, students were able to meet Black CIOs during our organization tabling fair, watch performances from multiple organizations, and more! Over 300 students were able to attend and enjoy all of the festivities!
To stay updated on our upcoming programming, please follow us on Instagram @bsaatuva!
Alumni Spotlight
BSA would like to extend an invitation to all Black Alumni to join the University of Virginia Black Students, Alumni, Faculty, and Staff LinkedIn page. All requests to join this group will be answered promptly to ensure that all who are interested can be engaged with the community as soon as possible! Within this professional community, many students and alumni share educational and professional development opportunities, along with informative articles. This year, our organization would like to spotlight the Black Alumni community on this LinkedIn group, alongside our Instagram page!
We would strongly encourage alumni who are open to actively networking with students to sign up for a spotlight! Alongside the spotlight, our goal is to connect students with alumni who are available for quick networking chats and building meaningful connections with current students! If you know any available and engaged Alumni to be considered, please let us know.
Thank you for Keeping Up with BSA, we are excited to engage with you all in the coming months!
Kishanti Barmoh (Col ’27)
Chair of Historic and Alumni Relations
Zoey Brooks (Col ’26)
Director of Communications