An important summit was recently held on the campus of Livingstone University, a private, historically Black, four-year college with approximately 1,200 students. But despite the relatively small size of the host campus, the potential impact of the newly formed Carolina Black Student Government Association could be huge.
The inaugural Black College Student Leadership Fall Summit brought together student leaders from various historically Black colleges and universities in North and South Carolina September 7th and 8th to share strategies to address issues and to develop solutions to the problems facing many Black communities.
The summit is the brainchild of former student activist Rev. Gregory Drumwright, now pastor of The Citadel Church in Greensboro, N.C. Rev. Drumwright was the Student Government Association president at North Carolina A&T a decade ago. Back then, all the Black student government leaders in North Carolina would meet once a month to plan joint programming and projects. During a visit to his old campus last fall, he was informed that the coalition was no longer meeting.
“I was appalled, I had not learned of this any other time over the past decade so I left there with a burden on my heart,” said Rev. Drumwright. “I knew that it couldn’t stay that way.”
He prayed on it, and began to survey the student leadership groups in North and South Carolina. Working with campus officials and using his own financial resources, he decided to hold the fall leadership summit, which in turn led to the establishment of the Carolina Black Student Government Association.
Many are aware of the well-known HBCU’s spread out across the Mid-Atlantic and Deep South, but unknown to many is the fact that there are a combined 19 HBCUs located in North and South Carolina, making that region a potential powerhouse and launching pad for Black thought, activism and business development that could improve conditions nationwide.
Wearing business attire, the articulate students also discussed how best to organize and empower those on their campuses to become agents of change that would positively affect society beyond the protected and insulated boundaries of their college campuses. read more…
