The Black Student Union is a group of African-American Teachers and Students who come together, no matter what race or background, to express ourselves.
At the start of each meeting everyone introduces themselves, including teachers and moderators. This helps everyone remember each other’s names, plus, if there is anyone new joining one of the meetings, this a good way for them to introduce themselves to the whole group.
BSU moderator Ian Solomon stated that, by being an educator of color here at Cardinal Gibbons, he feels it important that he makes himself as an example and a model for the young African-American kids and kids of color, making sure they know that there is someone at the school who cares for them, who is representing them and who is also advocating for them.
Solomon is the former principal of Leesville Road from Feb. 2019-June 2024 and is now the Director of Student Success at Gibbons.
Just 3-4 years ago there was not even the BSU group at Cardinal Gibbons, so Solomon is excited that the school prioritizes the group and gives the group the space and agency to have a formalized group.
“We have an organization that gives y’all a safe space to be themselves,” Solomon said.
He also stated how, as a moderator of the group, Solomon plans and looks forward to holding the yearly HBCU event, which will be in February of next year.
“The main thing right now is just making sure the kids have a space as the group matures,” he said, with the goal that “when problems arise at the school with kids of color, to make sure that it is addressed the proper way and in a productive manner that will lead to positive results.”
Also, he would like to make sure that the whole school and Gibbons community is aware of the fact that the BSU is a group here and they are productive and are contributing to the overall community, which makes Cardinal Gibbons a better place.
“The group is (a) very welcoming group, also a group that wants to contribute in a positive way to the greater fabric of the Cardinal Gibbons community and more than anything else the group just wants to be ensured that people know that they are just like everyone else that comes through Cardinal Gibbons,” Solomon said. “Their uniqueness contributes to the overall fabric of Cardinal Gibbons.”
