TW: This article contains mentions of institutional and medical racism.
The Legion of Black Collegians invited voters to hear from the candidates running for its 2022-2023 Executive Cabinet on Wednesday, March 16 at 5:30 p.m. in the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center (GOBCC).
The Legion required candidates to gather 50 student signatures to run. There are seven positions available: president, vice president, political chair, Freshman Action Team chair, activities chair, communications chair and executive secretary.
President
Junior Bryson Ferguson is running unopposed for LBC president, a position currently held by senior Caleb Sewell.
In honor of Women’s History Month, Ferguson opened the speech with a quote from Black activist Madam C.J. Walker: “Don’t sit down and wait for opportunities to come. Get up and make them.”
Ferguson then spoke about the experiences of Black students. He said the MU administration neglected their needs and took away “our safe places.”
Ferguson said Black students have “found a way to survive” in their predominantly white institution’s environment, but that Black students “deserve to thrive.” In order to thrive, Ferguson said he wants to “keep it simple” and follow the Legion’s slogan: “Leading. Building. Climbing.”
“Leading: By leading, I envision LBC connected with Umbrella Organizations,” Ferguson said.
LBC’s Umbrella Organizations include collegiate groups committed to the Black community, such as the Zeta Alpha chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the NAACP and the African Student Association. To unify Umbrella Organizations, Ferguson said he wants a revitalized LBC newsletter, event collaboration across Umbrella Organizations and robust communication with Black leaders and freshmen.
“Building: Building is what will help shape our Black Mizzou,” Ferguson said. “To me, the Legion is the bridge that connects all.”
Ferguson said the Legion’s political committee should promote civic engagement and education. He also encouraged a continuation of volunteerism and events, all of which should be showcased via social media in a way that “any Black student cannot help but pay attention to.”
“Climbing: To climb we must first lead and build,” Ferguson said. “Only then can we acquire the data to make the administration listen.”
Ferguson said through community-building efforts, the LBC can then collect qualitative data from Black MU students about their experiences, particularly those Ferguson said the MU administration may otherwise ignore.
“The administration … will find any way to invalidate our experience,” Ferguson said. “With this data, I hope to give them something … they cannot ignore.”
Ferguson said a vote for him would mean, in the words of Walker, that the Legion would make their own opportunities, not sit down and wait for them.
Vice president
Running unopposed, junior Danielle Levingston aims to succeed senior Holly Graham, the current vice president.
Levingston said she wants to focus on efficiency as vice president.
“I’d love to … have a centralized approval process for different [LBC] activities, as well as event ideas,” Levingston said.
Levingston’s goal is to implement “semi-regular” committee meetings to monitor the LBC committee goals. Levingston “[wants] to be done with symbolic senators” and increase engagement by incorporating senators’ interests into LBC events.
“If you said you’re going to do [something within LBC], I’m going to expect that you’re going to do it,” Levingston said. “I think that that should be the expectation.”
Levingston also advocated for an increase in outreach to create a positive public image. In terms of LBC’s student political engagement, Levingston said they should send a delegate to every Missouri Students Association Senate meeting.
Lastly, Levingston pushed for the revitalization of Black Homecoming, a space for Black students to celebrate Homecoming royalty, socialize and partake in community events.
“I think that sometimes we also have to remember that it’s okay to have fun … I think Homecoming week is definitely an opportunity to build community and do that casually,” Levingston said.
Political chair
Two candidates, junior Tamia Ray and sophomore Eghosa Ogbevoen, are in the running for political chair, currently held by presidential candidate Bryson Ferguson. The chair focuses on the political needs of Black students through education, outreach and advocacy on campus.
Ray said she wants to implement unbiased LBC political tabling sessions on campus during U.S. elections so “that we can vote not for a party, but for a candidate.”
Ray also touched on her goal to spread the Legion’s mission.
“A lot of people on campus don’t know about the LBC,” Ray said. “We can’t really [change] that without targeting the biggest demographic on campus … white people.”
To remedy this knowledge gap, Ray suggested LBC appearances at Greek Life meetings and other events with white students.
As chair, Ray said she also wants to set up an LBC table to educate students about the disproportionately negative impacts of the healthcare system on Black communities.
Ogbevoen presented a three-part platform: bringing back the Legion, political empowerment and community. Ogbevoen said due to COVID-19, participation declined in many campus organizations. To counteract this impact of the pandemic, Ogbevoen said the LBC should focus on recruiting at the beginning of each academic year.
Ogbevoen said collaborating with other Black student organizations, such as the African Student Association, would open up opportunities for joint events.
As for the white demographics on campus, Ogbevoen said she would push for accountability from these groups.
“Speaking to … predominantly white organizations on campus and telling our story … is the first step … because just like any social movement, your oppressor also has to come to the table to give progress,” Ogbevoen said.
For the political empowerment goal, Ogbevoen said the LBC should be providing the tools for Black students to be “confident in their political power,” such as voter registration and protest organization efforts.
Regarding community, Ogbevoen said the LBC’s frequent meeting place, the GOBCC, should continue to be a “central hub of Blackness and … another safe space for us.”
Freshman Action Team chair
Junior Jas Simmons and freshman Kobe Smith are running to become the chair of the Freshman Action Team, a standing LBC committee focused on freshmen engagement through volunteer work and events. Sophomore Amaya Butler is currently serving as the FAT chair.
Simmons said that if she is elected, she plans to help “get incoming freshmen accustomed to the Mizzou culture and college lifestyle.”
“I know we can all agree that coming to college can be a difficult transition,” Simmons said.
Connecting freshmen to MU resources is another objective for Simmons if elected chair.
“Mizzou has a lot of resources … but if you do not know those resources, then you cannot utilize them,” Simmons said. “There’s a lot of money [put into resources] on this campus, we’ve just got to get to it.”
In addition to advocacy for networking opportunities and community service events, Simmons said she wants to be the upperclassman that she needed as a freshman. In turn, Simmons suggested ways for new students and upperclassmen in the LBC to organically bond.
“Reducing the gap between under and upperclassmen basically looks like networking workshops — events that allow everybody to … truly mix and mingle,” Simmons said.
Smith, the second student campaigning for FAT chair, presented a platform focused on community-building, mentoring and giving incoming students a great experience.
“I wish to give the incoming freshman class a year of college that they won’t forget,” Smith said.
In order to build community, Smith said he wants to be someone that freshmen are able to “feel safe to open up [to] about anything.”
Smith is currently the FAT historian, and he said he is influenced by Butler’s work as the present FAT chair.
“Amaya has been like a mentor to the [FAT] executive board,” Smith said. “She … has allowed us to grow not only as people, but as leaders as well … If elected as FAT chair, I hope to be someone the next board can count on [by] setting aside time to talk to them.”
Activities chair
Juniors Nia Lowery and Marjai Neal are vying to become the activities chair, the overseer of LBC activities and event planning. Senior Mayah Clayton currently holds the position.
Lowery said it is imperative that Black students at a predominately white institution have connections with one another. In order to shape a community that best suits students’ needs, Lowery said she would focus on increasing engagement.
Lowery also said she wants to “bring life back to Black Mizzou.” She explained that she wants to look at pre-COVID activities and see which ones could return in some form.
“Things will never be the same [as they were in the past],” Lowery said. “I want to start laying [the] foundation for … Black Mizzou so it can be better than it ever was before.”
Lowery said she wants to work with other Black organizations to host larger events, and she would like to hold an LBC Mental Health Week.
Neal, the other candidate, said that if she is elected, she’ll “use … communication skills to bring people together.”
Neal also told the audience that due to the nature of her involvement as an advocate, she’s been on the Today Show and even met Oprah.
“I have several connections in higher places that I think can be used in the LBC’s benefit,” Neal said.
As a current member of the activities committee, Neal said she has a “good grip” on how to operate within LBC activity coordination. Her platform says, “Black knowledge is power.”
To bolster the LBC’s legacy through activities, Neal said she would have tabling sessions when MU freshmen first arrive. She also said she wants to see frequent community service events open to Black Mizzou, as well as social media advertising to increase turnout.
Like Lowery, Neal said she wants to see a Black Mental Health week come to life. Neal added that her platform focuses on increased LBC participation through attendance incentives and forging new traditions, like creating freshmen time capsules.
“That could be a huge tradition, like running through the columns,” Neal said.
Communications chair
Sophomore Tyson Strong Jr. is running unopposed to become the Legion’s communications chair, a position currently held by senior Roshae Hemmings. This chair relays LBC information to the public and to existing members.
Strong noted his history of social media work for organizations like the National Association of Black Accountants, as well as his creative contributions to the LBC newsletter.
“I work hard in my [organizations],” Strong said. “You’re going to see [passion] in my work.”
Strong said he wants to add creativity to the Legion. His platform items include revamping the LBC newsletter, performing maintenance on the website, ramping up social media engagement, creating unique event flyers and spearheading a two-part leadership series. Strong said he is already helping to make strides in the newsletter goal with his design contributions. Strong suggested social media takeovers by LBC senators to increase content creation for the Legion’s online following.
For Strong’s two-part leadership series, he imagines Black students coming together for professional development education and a field day fundraiser with the Umbrella Organizations. Strong said he “[wants] to provide something for our fellow [organizations]” to bolster them amidst the pandemic.
Executive secretary
Freshman Carrington Peavy is running unopposed to become the Legion’s executive secretary. Roshae Hemmings is the current executive secretary.
“[I would make] sure I put my best face and attitude forward for the Legion and … [recruit] people through … facilities across campus,” Peavy said.
Peavy said she has five key goals: setting stricter attendance expectations for the LBC Senate, pushing for collaboration with outside organizations, making closer connections with MSA, tackling intra-community issues and putting on broader and more inclusive events.
Peavy said if the Legion engaged more with organizations like the Four Front Council, a group of MU organizations representing marginalized communities, those efforts may “help our presence on campus.”
Regarding MSA, Peavy said inter-government transparency with both groups “should be paramount.” For Peavy’s final goals, she said she wants to provide interactive events to help bring members of the Black community together and celebrate a multitude of student interests.
Voting for the LBC Executive Cabinet election will last on MU Engage from Wednesday, March 16 at 8 p.m. until Friday, March 18 at 8 p.m.
Edited by Emmet Jamieson | ejamieson@themaneater.com