“Being a Black person, I want them to be proud”- Jordan Cray
Jordan Cray, sophomore at Augustana, is the current and future president of Black Student Union at Augustana College. Cray describes what the group is about, her position, and their goals. She says it is a safe space for students and students of color, especially Black students, and that the goals are to be focused more on Black excellence and empowerment as it continuously changes due to the climate on campus. As the group focused on recruitment in the beginning of the year, Jordan explains the next step as being a supportive group while celebrating blackness.
When asked about what sparked the group to begin, Cray explained that the group started back in 1968, immediately after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Recalling that at this time, racial tension was at a high considering it was during the Civil Rights Movement so Black students would want a safe space at Augustana College where they could come together. “It’s continuing his message, in a sense…” Jordan explains as being one of the reasons why BSU started 50 years ago. Cray says that being in predominantly Black schools prior to college, coming to Augie was a big culture shock for her, so BSU was in her sight her first-year as a space she was familiar with. She wanted to learn more about Black culture and history. After some time, she thought of ways she could improve the group and started to run for the executive board, and later became president. Jordan says, “BSU...is my motivation to provide other students of color that comfort zone”.
Cray goes on to talk about other sources of motivation and what keeps her going. “It does get frustrating and tiring sometimes… but one thing that prevents me from quitting...my dad always taught me ‘if you’re gonna start something, make sure you finish it’...my siblings too, they drive me to literally do everything”. Being the eldest of five, says she wants to teach her siblings what she learns and to be a resource that they can rely on, encouraging them and letting them know they are not the stereotypes pushed onto them. “You are beautiful, your black is beautiful, you can do anything…”
Considering how leadership in a group holds great responsibility, I asked Jordan what challenges she faced personally as president of Black Student Union. She describes her personality as a bit awkward, saying she’s not the best public speaker and can be indecisive at times. “Personality-wise, it’s a challenge when you’re a leader on campus” she says, chuckling. She says that as president, people see her as the voice of Black students, sometimes even other students of color on campus. “ ‘If something happens that is racially charged, in society, America, on campus… it’s like, okay how is Black Student Union going to respond?’” She describes how she has to watch how she responds to things and know when to say yes or no to certain things. Also talking about knowing who is watching Black Student Union because some people watch them critically with a close eye. “We [BSU] came a long way, but we still have a long, long way to go”.
When we talked about goals, Cray says she wants to focus more on Black excellence, empowerment, and representation. While focusing still on being a safe space for students of color and establishing ally-ship, Jordan is striving on focusing more on Black people. Her goals also include building a supportive community within students and being a support system where students can feel at home.