On Monday Oct. 20 at the Saint Mary’s College Soda Center, staff members, parents, and over 130 students from the district attended the 2025 Black Student Union Summit. Members from Campo’s BSU enjoyed celebrating African-American community, culture, struggles, and successes, and learned what different BSUs in the area were doing.
The BSU Summit was founded in 2018 and has become an impactful community event for BSUs around the district. The Summit offers learning opportunities, leadership experiences, and meaningful dialogues. This year the theme for the summit was “Unmuted: Your Voice is Power.” The day included a keynote by Dr. Ty Douglas, a dynamic step workshop, a career panel, a poetry slam, and listening circles with a combination of students from different schools.
Douglas has been the Associate Athletic Director for DEIBJ at Cal Athletics for the past five years. He is also a speaker, consultant, and writer. Douglas has a Ph.D in Educational Studies/Curriculum and Teaching with a concentration in Cultural Studies and a Post-Master’s Certificate in School Administration. Douglas has an extensive background in education and social justice work.
After hearing Douglas’s speech and the career talks given by African-American community members, Social Secretary of Campo’s BSU, senior Violet Ludwig said, “It’s really refreshing to hear about people’s struggles, but also the success that comes from their resilience.”
Authentic cultural traditions like the poetry slam and the step dance workshop offered creative fun and connection for students. The listening circles at the conclusion of the summit were a time and space provided for thoughtful reflection and vulnerability. Interacting with BSU members from Campo and others schools during the summit provided Ludwig with messages to continue fueling her passion for social justice and her personal resilience. Some of the messages Ludwig will carry with her are, “[to] take opportunities, do not let others label you, stay strong and motivated, and being African-American is powerful and prideful.”
Campo BSU President, senior Malik Li also had an inspiring, uplifting experience. “I never forget how much of a privilege it is to be in environments like these,” said Li when referring to the summit. After witnessing “…people bond like that,” Li said, “It serves as a reminder that there are lots of people I can have a positive impact on if I keep at it and follow through with my plans. This strong sense of hope and purpose helps Li continue fulfilling his community goals in a genuine, impactful manner.
This year the BSU did something new to continue embracing and growing their community on campus: “We’ve given out physical invites to every person who identified as African American on campus, and that has led to the biggest turnout the club has seen in several years,” said Li. He added, “Everything so far has been about community building and being in an environment with people who look like you, and now that we’ve done the summit, I want to shift toward a more serious tone than just pizza and games.” For Li, a more serious tone means “educating people about Black history, working with the BSU at JM, donating to school drives, [etc.].”
Campo’s BSU leadership has a clear vision for the space they want to provide on campus and how to make that space a reality. The affinity group is an integral part of our school. It is safe, supportive, and always strives to enrich the culture, celebration, advocacy, and warmth of the campus.
For those interested, the BSU meets every other Friday in D7.
