By Mira Varghese
Black alumni of the University of Maryland united Thursday, Feb. 18 for the “Say It Loud: a Black Terpspective” panel, during which they shared their varying experiences as students, which spanned decades.
The University of Maryland Alumni Association and the University of Maryland Black Terps Alumni Network sponsored the event. The panel was geared towards highlighting “past and present events that defined Black experiences” at the university, according to the event announcement.
The event moderator — Kim Nickerson, assistant dean of diversity, equity and inclusion at the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences — asked the featured panelists to each share their distinct experiences as Black students at the university.
Bobby McLeod entered the university in 1967, at a time when the administration had banned civil rights organizations and there were only around 200 to 300 Black students. However, McLeod said that did not stop him from fighting. He helped found the Black Student Union and became its first president, championing his community.
“We fought very hard for any sort of rights for African Americans,” he said. “The creation of the BSU was pivotal for the university’s Black community, as it became a fighting force for them and a place where they could feel comfortable.”
Sandra Weaver ‘74, was the second editor of The Black Explosion, a campus newspaper that covered the Black student community. She said the paper was integral to Black student life because it followed the news and issues concerning them, unlike other publications.
“The Black Explosion, I think, was an important part of life in the ‘70s,” Weaver said.
George Braxton graduated from the university in 1987 and was the National Pan-Hellenic Council president and a spokesman for the Black Coalition. He recalled that the 1980s were a “vibrant” time on campus, and for the Black community. According to Braxton, the university became a hub for Black student life in the Washington area.
Braxton still had to work for greater representation on campus but embraced the struggle. “I came to Maryland for the fight,” he said.
Walt Williams, a former Maryland Basketball star and NBA veteran, spoke to his experience as a Black student athlete in the 1990s. While he enjoyed his time at the university, he said he often struggled with the spotlight that came with being a top athlete.
Williams also noted that, compared to other panelists’ experiences, he lived a very privileged life as a student.
“I did not experience things like … previous guests … it was very privileged for me … people were trying to bend over backwards to do things for me,” he said.
Williams credited the work of his predecessors for his positive student experience.
Representing the current generation of students was Saba Tshibaka, a senior philosophy, politics and economics major and the founder of Black Terps Matter. While speaking about her work as a student activist and her desire to see more diversity in classrooms, she also acknowledged the importance of the work of those that came before her.
Despite being from different backgrounds and generations, each of the panelists expressed the same pride in each other’s work and experiences. The stories of other panelists signified what McLeod envisioned for the future. He said they “represent everything we thought could happen back then.”
Nickerson ended the event by asking each panelist to offer some advice to Black students and alumni. Braxton called for them to claim the university as their own.
“Believe in yourself, stay fearless … [and remember that] no one can tell you what’s in your own thoughts,” Tshibaka said to the audience.
Featured image: Panelists shared their past and present experiences at the university during the “Say It Loud: a Black Terpspective” panel over Zoom on Thursday, Feb. 18.