Unity is to be joined as a whole. A union is a club or association established by people with the same interests. At UIC College Prep (UICCP), unity is an important part of our community because we believe the bonds created by students during such a critical growing stage are often what shapes their next steps in life after high school. These joint experiences help influence their future needs and wants. One of the most prominent unions at UICCP that we have seen transform the lives of our students is the Black Student Union (BSU).

The BSU at UICCP is a completely student-led organization and plays a crucial role in promoting the empowerment, support, and representation of Black students on our campus. The BSU was originally started by staff to address the needs and concerns they heard from Black students on campus– such as discussing trauma, navigating new communities and neighborhoods, and learning how to manuever in diverse spaces. The ultimate goal of forming the BSU was to create a space where our Black students felt safe and loved by their classmates and teachers so they can work together to face these challenges head-on and bring about their own healing and success. However, the Black Student Union is not always about trials and challenges, this union was also created for fun, joy and lots of laughter.

Over the past two school years, the students in the BSU have been taking it to the next level to build community, compensating for the time lost during online learning. They’ve hosted countless member meetings and school events since we came back to the school building in 2021. They’ve thrown multiple dances, dress down days, performing arts events with the Honors Band and Choir, and more.

Kamorra, a recent 2023 graduate of UIC College Prep, was a faithful member of the Black Student Union since her sophomore year. To her, joining the BSU was an important way to build community for herself and other Black students.

“I joined BSU because I wanted to help make a space where Black kids were comfortable being themselves and expressing how they felt about certain things happening at this school involving race,” Kamorra said.

One of the main goals of the BSU this recent school year was to host consistent meetings to make sure that all the students were okay mentally, emotionally, and physically — both inside and outside of school. They wanted the meetings to be a safe space to vent and express any vulnerability, whether it was happy or sad. For Kamorra, it was an especially important space to build power with other Black students and advocate for their community when they faced challenges in the school.

Last year, Kamorra said it was tough for Black students at UICCP because of some hurtful jokes and statements that non-Black students were making. She felt like those moments put a barrier between everyone in the Firecat community. Along with the BSU, Kamorra stood up to advocate for change, meeting with the principal to address their concerns.

“We overcame that and pushed through by consulting Mr. Burns and making it known that bullying in any way is not acceptable, whether it’s a joke or not. It’s still offensive,” Kamorra said.

Even though she is heading out to college now, Kamorra still has high hopes for the UICCP BSU. She said she hopes the BSU continues to “bring awareness to the amazing students of color at this school, support one another with their physical and mental state, and continue to make memories.”

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