Black Student Union History

  The Johns Hopkins Black Student Union (BSU) was founded in April of 1968, shortly after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the riots which followed in Baltimore City. The club sponsors social events and lectures, participates in community service activities such as tutoring disadvantaged children, works to promote unity among African Americans, and works to improve the overall climate for African American students at Hopkins.

1967 - Ten Demands >>>>>

article_2   John Guess and Bruce Baker, who would soon the be the organizations first chariman and president, marched into the Homewood house and presented ten demands to the university administration which included an increase in black student enrollment and black professorships as well as the hiring of a black person to the admission office's staff. They requested that committees be formed to facilitate the integration of the Black community into Homewood, while still maintaining their Black identity. Sections of the Milton Eisenhower library were to be dedicated to the works of black authors. In order to improve the quality the black social scene on campus, Hopkins-Morgan State mixers and a black barber on campus were asked for.

1968 - BSU Constitution Rejected by Student Council >>>>>

  In mid-October 1968, they submitted a constitution proposal which would serve to make the Black Student Union an official university organization. After a period of discussion and debate, the Student Council body delivered its decision: the proposed charter was rejected. Upon receiving news of the submitted proposal's rejection, the decision was made to ignore the Student Council's vote and continue of the formation of the Black Student Union, starting with the carrying out of recruiting and fund raising operations. The University even ignored the council's decision and granted the BSU permission to use the name "Johns Hopkins" in its title.

1969 - the Black Student Union is Official >>>>>

article_1   Finally, in the spring of 1969 the Black Student Union became an official university organization. Bruce Baker took office as president and Guess as chairman. In their remaining years at he university, the first BSU members continued to lay the foundations in work towards achieving the demands which they had submitted years before.

2006 - BSU Takes Stand against Racially Themed Party >>>>>

article_3  Members of the Black Student Union and supporters rallied on North Charles Street in front of the campus, speaking out against a racially themed party hosted by Sigma Chi, a predominately white fraternity. The party was entitled "Holloween in the hood" and its invitation sparked anger in many black students on campus. Angered students proclaimed that the invitation perpetuated many of the stereotypes of blacks and intended to make a complete mockery of black people as a whole. Hopkins investigated the party and imposed a 45-day suspension of the national Sigma Chi fraternity's activities, in addition to more intense punishment for the creater of the party's invitation.