Black Honors Caucus Returns after COVID Hiatus
April 9, 2024, Black Honors Caucus general body meeting (Source: @blackhonorscaucus on Instagram)
The Black Honors Caucus held its first general body meeting in nearly three years on April 9, 2024. Led by a new executive board, Black Honors College students came together in the basement lounge of Anne Arundel Hall for a night of trivia, food and community.
Since 1971, the BHC has worked to create an inclusive space for Black students enrolled in the University of Maryland’s honors college. A 1971 article published by the Black Explosion and written by Ted Laster, then president of the Black Honors Caucus, titled “BHC - Organized Towards Black Needs'' stated that the organization’s mission is “to make the atmosphere of the Honors Program more suitable for black men and women.”
The group remained a staple of the Honors College for years following its establishment. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced universities and organizations to go virtual.
Traci Dula, associate director of the Honors College and co-advisor of the BHC, noted how difficult the COVID-19 pandemic was on the caucus.
“They did some programming and attempted to provide some support for students,” she said. “but they were students too, going through and having a difficult time.
Black Honors Caucus advertisement in April 1, 1972 edition of the Black Explosion News Paper
(University of Maryland Libraries: Digital Collections)
BHC - Organized Towards Black Needs by Ted Laster (University of Maryland Libraries: Digital Collections)
Black Honors Caucus advertisement in March 20, 1973 edition of the Black Explosion News Paper (University of Maryland Libraries: Digital Collections)
Although the underclassman members of the caucus attempted to keep it going through the pandemic, the inability to form a proper community virtually led to the organization's dormancy in 2021.
The BHC remained without members for three years until Uchechi Mba, a freshman government and politics major, noticed it on the Honors College website in February 2024. Mba and other Black honors students spoke to Honors College faculty and found sponsors. After selecting executive officers and registering with the Student Organization Resource Center, the students officially revived the BHC.
During the return meeting on Tuesday, the executive board introduced themselves to the new caucus members. Members then played two rounds of Jeopardy focused on Black culture and prominent Black figures, including university alums. The meeting closed with an opportunity for members to pitch ideas for future meetings.
2024 Black Honors Caucus general body meeting (Razak Diallo/The Black Explosion)
Joyce Banjo, a sophomore government and politics major and business minor, gained perspective from the event.
“I met a lot of new people,” she said. “I didn’t realize the number of Black honors students in other honors colleges because they are all so spread apart on campus.”
The resurrection of the BHC joins many recent efforts by the Honors College to promote diversity across its programs.
Chantelle Smith, the assistant director of recruitment and inclusive communities at the Honors College, has worked alongside the Honors College’s central staff and leaders to increase the diversity and retention of minority students. She led the creation of the Honors College’s First-Generation Students Association, the PrePAIR Connections mentoring program and is a co-advisor of BHC.
According to data provided by Smith, 24% of registered Honors College students were part of an underrepresented minority - including Black, hispanic and indigenous identities in 2023. This is an 8% increase from 2020 Honors College demographics. Due to the 2023 Supreme Court decision prohibiting the use of race as a factor in college admissions, Smith suspects diversity and inclusivity of higher education institutions and programs may take a hit.
According to Smith, recruitment of underrepresented minorities has become more challenging in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision. Proactive outreach, which makes intentional efforts to attract and support underrepresented minority students, is essential during recruitment and is under threat because it utilizes admissions information.
“That data is not available to us right now,” Smith said. “I don’t know what the data is as far as our incoming class. I would have known by now, but I don’t because of that [Supreme Court decision.]”
Saniya Littlejohn, BHC’s president, believes the organization’s founding function continues to persist today.
“I still think this is an organization that the school needs,” the sophomore public policy major said. “I think that it’s something that it will always need. It’s a safe space for Black students to come and exist and be themselves.”
Heading into next school year, Littlejohn said community service events, discussions about the upcoming election and community building are at the top of the BHC's to-do list.
“I want as many Black students as possible to be coming to our events,” she said. “If you’re Black and in honors, please come to our events. We would love to hear your voice and meet you.”
Correction: A previous version of this article spelled Chantelle Smith’s name as “Chantel”. The story has been updated to reflect this change.