Outreach (1990-2000)

Program for the "Young Women's Dinner"

BSU member poses for the Conococheague.

Tickets for the BSU sponsored "Young Women's Dinner," April 1997.

In the 1990s, dance was an important and fun component of the then called African-American Student Union. The club also shifted their focus, pouring energy into fundraising and performance, while maintaining their history of fostering inclusion on campus.

From 1989 to 1995, the African-American Student Union lost traction due to a loss in membership. In 1996, the African-American Student Union was reformed and renamed the Black Student Union (BSU). Having to rebuild a presence on campus, the club began quickly fundraising to bring in funds for club programs to educate and entertain the campus community. In September of that year the BSU, Multicultural Activities, and Student Development sponsored a discussion and performance by Shindana Cooper, an African-American storyteller. 

In 1997, the BSU began holding a Young Women's Spaghetti Dinner. For this program, members of the Wilson community were invited to present a short lecture on distinguished women in their respective fields. The goal of the dinner was to promote the success of women and "encourage young women to learn more" about the fields presented on. This program was repeated in 1998 displaying the "friendship and sisterhood" that the club sought to promote among its members and the Wilson community (Conococheague, 1999).  

The BSU had a goal of “standing tall and proud” in 1999. One of the clubs goals was to lift up community members and organizations. The BSU was able to facilitate this by hosting an auction to raise money for a local Girl Scouts troop. In that same year, the BSU put on A Taste of Culture on February 1st and a celebration of music every Friday during Black History Month. They also continued to participate in the Wilson Fashion Show and held a panel discussion in March for Multicultural month. Every Sunday, members of the BSU volunteered with a local Girl Scout troop at The Scotland School for Veteran's Children (Conococheague, 1998).