More than a year in the making, the University of Idaho’s Black Student Union celebrated the opening of the Black Cultural Center in the ISUB room 305, with an open house involving addresses from faculty, ASUI and members of the Black Student Union.
For the Black Cultural Center’s Director Mario Pile, the purpose for this new space on campus was visible across campuses in the United States: Black students were dropping out.
“The catalyst that kind of pushed things over was the dropout rate of Black students at predominantly white universities is so high,” Pile said. “To combat that, cultural centers are usually designed to help bring that community so that students feel less isolated.”
Pile said that it had become clear that after two or three years at the university, Black students would become exhausted and want to leave the campus environment entirely.
To address this, Pile said that a cohort model is currently being considered, allowing students involved with the center to “build their own community within a greater community.” The goal of this approach is to increase both membership in UI’s Black Student Union and improve the retention of Black students at the Moscow campus. Pile added that while the center would provide a space where Black students would not have their existence questioned, it would more so be utilized to elevate and encourage black students as well as allowing them to find reprieve.
“A lot of times Black students have an extra tax just because they’re Black,” Pile said. “They’re in class and they’re being asked to speak for all Black people, or Black women to speak for all women, and then all Black women, and all Black people. That’s a tax that others don’t recognize.”
Pile added that this is not a space that has been made exclusive to students. Faculty and staff can also use the space both as a source of encouragement and a recruitment tool.
“People want to recruit and bring in others, but if you don’t see people that look like you, you’re not gonna come,” Pile said. “I hope to be a part of that effort to bring more Black faculty and staff here and let them know that this is a space where they’ll be welcomed and when they are put on the spot or feel the weight of the world is on their shoulders, we’re here and we can be that barrier or that burden carrier.”
The Black Student Union’s Communication Officer Bex Riehm said that her own concerns about coming to the Moscow campus are what make the cultural center so important in a population with a small Black population.
“I was really concerned based off of a bunch of rumors and I did what I could to educate myself,” Riehm said. “The only thing I could find regarding any Black lives or Black individuals at UI was one article that was published in the city paper about an African American student who felt like she was the only African American student in Moscow … it was disheartening to feel that there wasn’t enough representation and just having us here and giving us the opportunity to have a space is a giant leap in equality.”
For Riehm, the addition of the Black Cultural Center meant that both incoming and established students would have a designated space that will help ensure that no person at the university campus is left feeling uniquely alone.
In his opening address, Pile noted the end goal of the cultural center and other similar initiatives on campus is not to simply ensure that Black lives matter on campus. There must be work to achieve what is beyond the bare minimum, to achieve a sense of belonging.
“Black Lives Matter is not just a slogan that you get to put on your chest. It’s not a button that you get to just show support,” Pile said. “Black lives is the very essence of American spirit, it’s the blood, sweat and tears that has built the capital, the foundation of what we are, the very essence of struggle, the very essence of being a beacon of freedom and liberty … Black Lives Matter is just the beginning Black lives must be cherished, Black lives must be heard, Black lives must be embraces, Black lives must be loved.”
Royce McCandless can be reached at [email protected] or Twitter @roycemccandless
John Burl Smith
Young Voters/Students and Mental Health!!! By John Burl Smith author of “The 400th From Slavery to Hip Hop!” Back before “mad bomber” Joe Manchin and “tail gunner” Kyrsten Sinema, salvaged “Build Back Better,” a vitally needed social programs, and stabbed Pres. Biden in the back by stripping out and passing all corporate friendly projects, many Americans felt a different mentality would set policy in America. Hearing Manchin’s current rhetoric, if I didn’t know better, sounds as if he is making a grab for the “White House brass ring.” But his problem getting what he covets most is there will never be a “Joe Manchin” wing in the Democratic Party! Positioning himself as a roadblock to any Pres. Biden’s spending on social programs, like healthcare, climate change, and student debt, Manchin has “big eyes but very small hands.” Healthcare/social programs, though originally conceded for elderly Americans, are far more for young voters/students, than drug prices and visits to the doctor. Young voters/students “are smarter than they look,” consequently, they read between the lines very well. There are numerous reports and surveys indicating “good mental health is essential.” Recently, Naomi Osaka drew world attention to the need for good mental health care, which is abysmal in the US for young voters/students, so I applaud Naomi’s stand. Also, as Shahem Mclaurin, “Black therapists struggle to share mental health knowledge on TikTok,” I will share just a little information (studies and other research), from across many disciplines, which place workforce mental health in the eye of the storm. For instance, one study found 84% of respondents believe “mental health benefits are important to them when seeking a new job.” That result has implications for employers, and perhaps is why workers are quitting jobs, while many jobs remain unfilled. However, the consternation of many students/young voters is that their futures depend on access to adequate healthcare before and after entering the workforce. A study by Kaiser Permanente (Affordable Health Care Plan) says, “With workers’ mental healthcare at a historic low, employees today are struggling, whether from stress and burnout or severe mental health conditions; 84% say “mental health benefits are important to them when seeking a new job.” Loneliness and isolation, even before coronavirus swept the globe, was fueling America’s mental health crisis, but now following the 1/6 Capital insurrection, stress, uncertainty, fear, and anxiety coupled with chaos, Trump supporters are causing at election and school boards, mental health issues have skyrocketed. Invariably, employees/students/young voters are also experiencing new or heightened feelings of depression and anxiety, with the war in Ukraine. Watching helpless civilians braving bombs, raining on them, as the shadow of nuclear conflagration over us all in an insane effort Putin to rule the world, it is as though the world has gone crazy. I believe such a specter was in the corner of Pres. Biden's eyes, when he proposed “Build Back Better!!!” One study looked at the world’s mental health, “5 Common Mental Health Challenges in the Workplace” by Paul Bergeron (9/22/2021). He surveyed 21-countries and half of American adults said the pandemic had affected their mental health negatively, while 63% reported feelings either depressed or anxious or both. More than half (56%) of undergraduate students said their mental health suffered, due to COVID. A survey by “Chegg.org (Generation Hope) looked at 16,839 responses in October and November of 2020 and found 56% of undergraduate students 18–21, including 70% of Americans, Canadians, and British said their mental health had deteriorated. Moreover, at least 76% of Brazilian students said they were experiencing or suffered mental health issues. Alarmingly, research among US students on mental health show 1,100 college students commit suicide every year, while 24,000 attempted to take their own lives, but were unsuccessful. College student mental health statistics, students are exposed to an inordinate amount of pressure and stress, negatively impacting their mental health. Experts confirm since the COVID-19 pandemic the situation has worsened, with increasing numbers of students treated for mental disorders, where 64% dropped out of college because of mental health problems (student debt plays a huge role). A recent survey by the National Alliance on Mental Illness found a strong correlation between the number of students who drop out of college and depression. It showed nearly two-thirds (64%) of college students in the US quit their studies because of mental disorders. The study revealed further 50% of those who dropped out never accessed mental health services. Here is where lives could be saved if Joe Manchin had allowed “Build Back Better,” to become law. When teenagers leave home and enter new environments, they become vulnerable, and their mental health is at risk. Symptoms, in most cases, emerge between the ages of 18 and 24. According to college students and mental health statistics, 75% of mental health problems become apparent by age 24. One mental disorder that interferes with students’ academic success is ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Between 2 to 8% of college students diagnosed with ADHD, have problems focusing, as well as paying attention, or study for exams. Additionally, severe symptoms of anxiety and depression increase for students struggling with ADHD. College is a transition for students, as they adjust to new environments. Environmental stressors combined with a student’s predisposition, increases mental health issues and the risk of suicide. In fact, suicide rates among college students tripled from 2007 to 2018. Moreover, the rate of suicide among young people aged 10–24 jumped 60%. In 2019-2020, the rate of students receiving mental health services, who considered suicide, was 36.9%. Mental health on college campuses, between 2019 and 2020, indicate the number of students receiving mental health services that considered suicide was the highest during the past decade. The rate of suicidal ideation for 2010-2011was 24% and has increased gradually to 36.9% in 2019-2020. Tragically, male college students are 4 to 6 times more likely to commit suicide than female college students. Self-harm and suicidal attempts are common consequences of anxiety and depression. Students who become despondent and feel hopeless are more likely to consider suicide. Over 90% of people who commit suicide have depression or substance abuse problems. Connections between increased depression and suicidal attempts are not coincidental. Accordingly, a 2018 study of 67,000 students, 9% had attempted suicide. Stats also show between 1,100 to 1,400 students per year take their own lives. Hence, suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. Finally, 30% of gay, bisexual or LGBTQ students aged 18–25 have attempted suicide. The rate of suicide among college students’ is higher among bisexual minorities. Recent data indicates gay, bisexual and LGBTQ college students are five times more likely than their straight peers to attempt suicide. The high level of psychological distress, victimization, and homophobia is cited to explain why over a third of this populations’ attempts suicide! Mental pain is the most severe and is not a political football for Joe Manchin to kick around!!!