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Club Profile – Black Student Alliance
By Ruthanne Johnson
rjohn180@mscd.edu

With a high-profile event featuring distinguished members of the black community and a book full of plans for this semester, Metro’s Black Student Alliance is attempting to breathe new life into the school’s club scene.

Included in the BSA’s list of upcoming events is a collaborative effort with the Metro History Club to host three World War II veterans from the Tuskegee Airmen, some of the first black pilots in the military.

“This is an important event, not only because the vets are not going to be around much longer, but also because of what they did for their country and for civil rights in general,” said Gloria Burns, club president.

Prior to the Tuskegee Airmen, black men did not have the opportunity to become pilots in the U.S. military and were trained mostly as cooks and in other service jobs. It was due in part to the efforts of the Tuskegee Airmen that racial segregation in the military ended in 1948.

“They were the very first African-American men to fly in World War II,” said CCD student and BSA member Lilly Porche. “I am excited about (the event), especially if we get out there and lots of people show up.”

The Tuskegee Airmen presentation will be held between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on March 20 in the Tivoli Turnhalle, with a luncheon, presentation, and book signing.

“I think all the local schools should know about and get involved in this event,” she said, adding that with the support of the History Club, she will be able to market the event even more effectively.

The BSA is focused not only on larger events, but also on functioning as a social club that meets, holds dances and is involved in other events. Burns said she has already talked to Alton Clarke, the group’s faculty adviser, about adding to the BSA’s agenda a tour Clarke gives of an obscure black cemetery where he re-enacts the life of black pioneers.

Since her appointment as president of BSA, Burns has involved her group in community activities such as mentoring students at Skyler Charter School, a last stop for children expelled from the public school system. The club also recently formed a step team, which will perform onstage during Metro’s upcoming March Spring Fling.

Other BSA events include a presentation by curator Lujan Larson of the Black American West Museum, “The Untold History of African-Americans,” which will focus on African-American cowboys.

“It has been my goal as president to build club membership to the point that it is one of the outstanding clubs on campus, and I want us to get more involved in the community to give back through mentorship and volunteerism,” Burns said.

She explained that although it is difficult to inspire students leading hectic lives to dedicate even more time toward school, it is worth the effort.

“People who are involved in a variety of activities, not just at school, who learn to multitask and juggle lots of things, have a more focused mind and are actually a lot healthier,” she said.