UC Santa Barbara’s Office of Black Student Development hosted the first Black Community Forum of the academic school year on May 27. The forum showcased Black students’ stories exploring their struggles, joys and moments of belonging within UCSB, and held a discussion on student-led solutions.
The OBSD used a unique type of surveying method called photovoice “to collect Black student experiences and let them tell their stories.” Iris Guo / Daily Nexus
The Office of Black Student Development (OBSD) sent out a survey titled “Snapshot of the Black Student Experience.” The survey featured questions about the students’ college choices, including their major, identity, family and financial support, academics and experiences beyond campus. Anonymous student responses were presented at the event.
The OBSD’s Coordinator of Black Student Life Julianna Swilley organized the event and explained that the OBSD typically holds a forum every quarter, but could only hold one this academic year due to understaffing.
“This year we were only able to hold one [forum] even though they had been set up as a quarterly thing, this was because of understaffing,” Swilley said. “But the conversations that the surveys bring about are just so important we made it happen for spring quarter.”
Swilley said that holding a space for student voices is extremely important, especially in the formal setting that the forum provides.
“The forum is good in providing a formal place for student voices to be heard. We do this by bringing in faculty members. It is important for staff to hear what the students need and plan our programming for the following year accordingly,” Swilley said.
According to Swilley, the OBSD used a unique type of surveying method called photovoice, “to collect Black student experiences and let them tell their stories.”
Photovoice is a research method where individuals take photos and document their personal experiences on social issues and around campus. This way of surveying was meant to allow students to tell their stories in a way that was more personal to them. The OBSD survey team interviewed a variety of Black students, including transfers, undergraduates and one graduate student.
“This narrative way of telling stories empowers students to reflect on their environment and how UCSB has treated them. It allows for broader insight through visuals and personal perspectives to more powerfully advocate for change,” Swilley said.
The photovoice survey results were printed as posters and displayed on the wall of the Student Resource Building (SRB). The results fell into three categories on the posters, “Anti-Blackness,” “Black joy” and “Belonging.”
Common remarks in the results were that Black students felt that they had to make their own community, felt isolated and felt a large amount of pressure due to a lack of support at UCSB.
“Black students felt isolated and had to create their own communities because that sense of belonging was not just handed to them,” Swilley said. “Alongside this, there was pressure to represent and lead, which can be hard without proper support from the school.”
These reflections led to an open discussion between the students, faculty and OBSD staff. Participants discussed the challenges they faced and brainstormed potential solutions that could facilitate a more welcoming environment for Black students.
Fourth-year Black studies major Zoe McCullough said she struggled with feeling left out in her classes despite her qualifications.
“In my upper division classes, I feel very out of place, but I know I belong where I am and know that I am doing just as important work as my counterparts,” McCullough said.
McCullough’s experience prompted attendees to share their solutions and ideas to strengthen connections in academia for Black students to help them find a better sense of belonging.
Fourth-year sociology major Jaz’myne Gates proposed the idea of hosting more student-staff lunches or events where Black professors and undergraduate students meet with the hope of “having a greater pipeline to connect and strengthen the Black community within academia and the university.”
Jimmy Mattaden, a fourth-year film and media studies major, said there was a lack of first-year and transfer student involvement in certain programs because they aren’t familiar with university resources and organizations.
“We may be having all these events, programs and resources for Black students but it doesn’t matter if they find out about them too late,” Mattaden said.
Mattaden proposed a Black student orientation as a potential solution, which could inform incoming students about the resources, programs and community they have access to.
“A Black student orientation, although a lot of work, could really give Black students a jumpstart on finding their place at UCSB through exposing them to our programs, events, resources and community,” Mattaden said.
The feedback and suggestions from the forum and discussion will be used to implement programs and events tailored to what students need. In the past, the forum had been used to create significant initiatives like the Black Student Leadership Retreat, which was a free event meant to help Black students build leadership skills and foster community.
Swilley said that the inputs from the forum will help decide what will be implemented the next academic year and that she is interested in exploring the idea of a Black student orientation.
“The participants gave lots of wonderful feedback and solutions that will be used for the next year. I am very interested in the idea of [a] Black student orientation that could be very helpful in making the transition more comfortable,” Swilley said.
