BSU History
The leaders stormed the University’s Administration Building (Morrill Hall) on January 14, 1969, and demanded the creation of an Afro studies department, increased financial aid for students of color, the Africana Student Cultural Center, and space for the establishment of current student cultural centers. The Black Student Union's beginnings stemmed from the need to voice concerns facing students of color on a predominantly-Caucasian campus and we still live this truth, to this day.
MISSION
The mission of the Black Student Union (BSU) at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is to further Black awareness at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and promote a culture of Unity for Black Students. The BSU strives to communicate and explain the University of Minnesota Twin Cities policies and practices that affect Black students.
Exponentially, we advocate for black students on and off-campus and cultivate student leaders. It is essential to create successful communication and collaborate with black student organizations on and off-campus. The BSU has also endeavored to make significant contributions to the community in the form of service. Morely, it helps to ensure Black students progress towards an academic degree and fulfilling college social experience. The importance of a well-managed school-life balance for our black students is important in upholding a standard of excellence in all our endeavors.
The Black Student Union was birthed in the wake of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination in 1968, decades of open racism on campus coming from students and professors, as well as the University’s exclusive policies that barred black students from social groups and living in dormitories. A group of black students known as the Afro-American Action Committee included: John Wright, Horace Huntley, Rose Mary Freeman, and Warren Tucker.
