Perspectives of Black Students at Regis University

By Paige Robinson, Staff Photographer

During Black History Month 2023, I was curious to hear different perspectives from other Black students than myself to engage in their different stories, experiences, advice, and more. Along with me wanting to hear from my peers, I also wanted others to listen and understand what life might be like for a Black student, especially attending a PWI (predominantly white institution). Some responses may be what some expect, while other responses may come as a shock. Many times, Black voices are silenced so people can avoid hearing the hard truth about our lives and our history. I want to put an end to that, and I really hope people can truly feel for the Black students. The responses to the questions below will reflect how each student differs, but also connect. Other fellow Black students can also read this and know they are not alone. This is for those to understand the realities of the minority community, the good and bad.

1. What is it like living as a Black student at Regis University?

 Being Black at Regis University is a pretty interesting experience. There is a good amount of Black people that are on our campus and we have a very welcoming and fun group of people in BSA. But there are other times where you get those looks from non-Black students, which is often uncomfortable but something that I have had to deal with before. Also with sports, and especially volleyball there are normally not a lot of black people on my teams. There is a really good number of us which allows me to be even more comfortable at school, during travel games, etc. 

-Anonymous

Being a Black student at my university is a somewhat strange experience. There’s so much diversity around me yet I don’t see many African Americans on campus. It makes me feel somewhat disconnected from the Black culture that I’m used to being surrounded by. Luckily, I’m treated just like anyone else on campus.

 -Anonymous

Being a Black student on Regis campus is different to me. I went to a high school and middle school that was very diverse and had a lot of different people from different backgrounds. Being at Regis, I must have a lot more conversations on a regular basis that makes me understand the exhaustion of being Black in a white community. There are things that I find common and do on the daily as what I thought was just being me or normal, but I have come to realize that they are more “black” tendencies. 

-Justice Jones ‘26

Living in Regis University as a Black student is tough, I won’t lie. You stand out in every gathering. As expected, there is little to no sense of Black community and culture as it is a predominantly white institution. Whenever you see a Black person on or around campus, you are amazed because it is unusual to see a lot of people who look like you around here.

-Chisom Nwosu ‘26

Being a Black student at Regis University is challenging.  I feel like I am constantly being judged and scrutinized by my peers. I feel like I need to work harder in order to be taken seriously. Most of the time, I am the only Black person in my class and that can be isolating. These feelings are overwhelming and sometimes make it difficult for me to focus on my studies.

-Tracy Fokwang ‘25

Being at Regis University is very mentally and spiritually draining. I have to constantly prove to my professors and my peers that I belong here and I am smart. It is believed by some that Black students are not as intelligent as others, which is hurtful because I worked hard to get into colleges just like others.

-Ama Agyekum ‘24

2. Do you deal with daily struggles being Black? If so, what?

 I don't really deal with any daily struggles relating to being Black at Regis. There will be those times where you do get those looks out of nowhere but overall we have a pretty inclusive campus. 

-Anonymous

Well, growing up Black poses many problems from family life to some traits in our culture that leave scars on us as we grow older. I’m still healing from these scars and struggle to let people in. But I’m taking my time and making sure I heal back correctly.

-Anonymous

One daily struggle I deal with is the unconscious tendency to always have my guard up because I tend to feel people are out to get me or may treat me differently because of my race. Because of this, there is that natural defense set before you even interact with people. 

-Chisom Nwosu ‘26

Again, if I ask for help from my professors I am always hit with, “you’re a strong woman, I’m sure you can figure this out.” Even at times most of my professors and my peers talk to me in a manner to insult my intelligence 

-Ama Agyekum ‘24

3. What advice would you give to future Black Regis students?

I think my advice is to just be yourself and embrace yourself and your culture. It is so important and a breath of fresh air to be surrounded by people who look like you as well as go through the same things that you do. No teacher, grade, friend, etc, is worth losing yourself just because you want to fit in. 

-Anonymous

 There may be pressure on you to be a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer but you should just do what you want to do. Having one of those jobs may net you a lot of money or prestige but it doesn’t mean anything if you’re not happy. So do what your passionate about

-Anonymous

One thing I would say to future Regis students of color is to just make sure you embrace who you are and not let yourself just fall into the common crowd.

-Justice Jones ‘26

If you are treated unfairly, stand your ground and stand up for yourself. On the days where you feel like you are not being heard or misunderstood, find a fellow Black person and/or person of color that you trust enough to confide in. This may be a student, faculty member, an advisor or anyone in a leadership position. Join BSA, it helps you know your people around campus. Take advantage of resources and opportunities provided to Black people all over campus. 

-Chisom Nwosu ‘26

My advice for future black students is to remember that you are not alone. There’s a community here for you. BSA, the office of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We’re all here for you to help you succeed.

-Tracy Fokwang ‘25

Be truthful to who you are, respect yourself and your morals don’t overcompensate. Speak up, take up room in your classes

-Ama Agyekum ‘24

4. What do you enjoy about being Black? 

I enjoy it all. I think the most thing I enjoy is finding other Black people. I just love the energy that we bring. I also learned to love my hair. I think it is such a huge part of being Black. I feel like we all fell into a stigma that straight hair was the beauty standard and if our hair was not straight you wouldn't be considered pretty. I find that now so crazy that I would think that because I would never trade my curly hair for the world. 

-Anonymous

 There’s beauty in our culture that many other cultures don’t have. While we may have been wronged in the past and gotten a late start, our culture promotes tenacity and civil disobedience and this makes it so that no matter what challenge we face, we can rise above it.

-Anonymous

 I would say one thing I love most and have embraced a lot is Black entertainment and different kinds of black arts such as poetry. I enjoy writing poetry inspired by poets like Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou.

-Justice Jones ‘26

I enjoy the sense of cultural boldness that comes with being Black. Black people have vast cultural and historical backgrounds all over the world that stand as a reference to most of the values and beliefs we hold as a people. There is always more than meets the eye when a Black person is seen. The African diaspora is widely spread around the world despite the fact that we all have different cultures within our communities, we can still come together to share that with one another. 

-Chisom Nwosu ‘26

My favorite thing about being black is my melanin. I love the way it glows in the sun and I love my culture. The diversity, the food, the people. I love Africa’s unmatched natural beauty. As a proud citizen of Cameroon, I am constantly amazed by the diverse range of skin tones that grace our land, each one more captivating than the last. I am grateful to be blessed with such beauty

-Tracy Fokwang ‘25

I love the culture. You can click with anyone simply by our own experience, we are rooted

-Ama Agyekum ‘24

5. What is Black excellence for you? 

Black excellence to me is us doing anything. From creating a small business to being a surgeon saving a life. Black excellence is so important to see from a young age because even though there are more people of color getting bigger positions in the world, there could be more. When you are younger, Black excellence is amazing to see because there are people who look like you, maybe doing something that you want to do when you grow up. I love seeing Black people on top and continuing to progress.

-Anonymous

Doing your best in whatever you're passionate about and rising above and beyond what people expect of you.

-Anonymous

Black excellence to me is dreaming big, aspiring to achieve one's goals and creating something that you can call your own to the best of your ability, not minding the limitations placed on you as a Black person.

-Chisom Nwosu ‘26

Black excellence to me means being resilient. Being able to overcome barriers, surpass expectations, and stereotypes. Defy the odds to grow and succeed despite challenges.

-Tracy Fokwang ‘25

Defying odds by doing the impossible. Taking up spaces in corporate America and making a space for ourselves.

-Ama Agyekum ‘24

6. What  is something important you want non-Black people to know/be aware of? 

I think something that non-Black people could be aware of is that it is okay to ask questions. I feel like most non-Black people just make assumptions about basically everything and they always jump to conclusions without even knowing what is going on. But they really need to get to know the story. Also they need to learn and respect our culture. 

-Anonymous

We’re all people here. Don’t treat us differently than anyone else. 

-Anonymous

One thing I would say to future Regis students of color is to just make sure you embrace who you are and not let yourself just fall into the common crowd. I would say one thing I love most and have embraced a lot is black entertainment and different kinds of black arts such as poetry. I want people who aren't black to consider that you don't know how it feels to be black the same way I don't know how it feels to be a race that's not my own. And that being considerate of another race and learning of their history and culture is the best way to understand them instead of using popularized false ideals, learning the actual truth. 

-Justice Jones ‘26

Mind your word choices and actions when referring to or addressing Black people.

-Chisom Nwosu

Black people are not lazy – we are not dumb – the way our society is made to keep us at the bottom. We sleep at 12 in the morning and wake up too just to get where you guys are

-Ama Agyekum ‘24

BSA Outreach - Centennial Elementary School

Photography by Paige Robinson, Staff Photographer

Members of Regis University’s Black Student Alliance took a trip to Centennial Elementary School to create a sense of belonging and empowerment in young Black individuals. We met with grades Kindergarten through 5th grade and spoke on what it is like to identify as Black, experiences as a Black student, and many more topics. BSA will continue to go to Centennial Elementary every other week on Friday’s to continue to work with the students and staff, and teach more about Black history. We will include more discussions, activities, and games as we continue to get to know the members of this community.

When They See Us Film Screening

By: Morgan Jacobus, Staff Writer

On Feb. 11, the Black Student Alliance (BSA) helped host the fourth screening of the docuseries, When They See Us. BSA President Eryn Rideout coordinated with the mayor’s office along with other organizations around Denver about this series around three months ago. When They See Us is a Netflix docuseries that was released May 31, 2019 about the Central Park Five who were accused and wrongfully convicted of the assault and rape of a jogger. The story of the five spans over a quarter of a century, from when the teens are first questioned about the incident in spring 1989 to their exoneration in 2002 to the settlement reached with the city of New York in 2014.

“I think the mayor’s office wanted to show this series now even though it came out like a year ago because these things are still happening today… it is not something that we can just act like it is not happening anymore,” said BSA president Eryn Rideout. 

Eryn mentioned how Regis was able to host two of the screenings, which was a unique opportunity to inform and encourage Regis students and community to make a change. 

“I think it is important to have it here, because Regis is a very much, I sometimes call it an ally-ship school. I don’t consider it a social justice institution necessarily just because these issues don’t get talked about at all in the depth they need to be talked about, and they don’t get talked about in the right ways, so I feel like this was pertinent to us doing it especially during black history month. It is still happening every day and we need to have these discussions so we as students can know what to do so that this doesn’t happen again,” said Rideout. 

The series consists of four episodes: The Crime, The Trial, The Aftermath, and The End. At each screening, there were different focuses in the conversations depending on what each episode was about. 

The first screening, held at Metro State University, had attendance of about 15 people, “Because that episode talked about the interrogations that the boys had to go through we mainly focused on that and we also went into things we can do, students especially, in our own communities and out in Denver to help with police brutality and these kinds of situations,” said Rideout. 

The second screening was at Regis, and featured some students and an alumni as panelists, with a crowd of around 20 people. Since that episode was about the boys being tried and convicted, “We were focusing on media because in that episode that was a big proponent to why the boys were vilified before they even went to trial,” said Rideout. Each episode prompts new topics for discussion and consideration for those that chose to attend. 

Though the third screening was unfortunately cancelled due to weather, Rideout explained how that episode entailed life after being convicted, in which three of the boys got out of juvie or finished their sentences. This episode brought up questions of how people are supposed to reenter society when so many factors are against them. 

The last episode and final screening was the most attended and likely most anticipated event. It was about Korey: the oldest of the five that had to serve his sentence in adult prison which came along with its own set of challenges. This episode also showed the person who actually committed the crimes stepping forward to confess, and how they were finally exonerated. For this screening they had a panel comprised of six individuals from various organizations around Denver that all see importance in this issue. There were attorneys, the mayor, and community members from the National Association of Real Estate Brokers.

“I loved the panel, I’m glad that they brought such great people who have seen these things unfortunately, but I think it was a great perspective to understand that these things are still happening every day and I think it just made it more than a docuseries or more than a movie to people and they are wonderful, they are doing great work out in the Denver community,” said Rideout. 

The panel discussed several issues, from the justice system, parenting, the media, and the impact we have an opportunity to make as a community and as students. Each of the panelists had experiences with wrongful conviction or had someone (sometimes more than one person) they knew that was a victim of wrongful conviction. With each of them coming from different perspectives, along with bringing their own personal experiences with these issues, they each had their reasons for being a part of the panel as well as why they thought this docuseries was important. 

For some of the panelists, they see the recurrence of unfortunate events like those in When They See Us, and how it is not an isolated incident, but one that continues to happen and will happen if we do not change something. 

“What I got from the movie is how little things have changed, and how much we are still doing the same things … we are still trying children as adults. We are doing the exact same thing over and over again now,” said Attorney Joyce Akhahenda. 

All the panelists had their own take on why the docuseries showings were so vital.

“This particular event is put on by the mayor’s office of community outreach. We were talking about how it is so important for you all not only to be involved but to lead the charge. It’s easy to say well that happened in New York that is certainly not happening here or its not happened in my life,” said Gloria Neal, who is a part of constituency affairs in the mayor’s office. 

Other panelists were struck by the sheer injustice in the docuseries, as well as in our society. 

“The reason I wanted to be a part of this was this case is famous, but also there are so many other cases that aren’t famous. I have been blessed throughout my life and I feel that it is important for me to give back and that is why I do the work I do but, also, this showing is about the things that are most important to me: social justice, racial justice, and juvenile justice, and all three of those are all linked together in the Central Park Five case,” said Attorney Courtney Denson. 

Angela Hutton-Hall, vice president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, who was involved as one of the sponsors of the event, explained how she didn’t really know the real story behind the exonerated five, and emphasized the importance of becoming aware and informed that these things happen. “Like Dr. Martin Luther King said, ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,’” she said. 

Many panelists were advocating for the rights of juveniles, and how cases like these treat them unfairly. 

“What it says to me is these are children, their brains are not fully developed. It really does say to me that it is a crime to be a person of color… You cannot forget that these are still children, and I think that is what is often lost,” said Attorney Nicole Duncan, who is a juvenile public defender. 

Overall though, each of the panelists expressed the importance of change, as well as emphasizing the impact that us as students can make. 

“I thought it was important to at least start a discussion and talk about it. We aren’t going to fix anything by having a discussion in this room, but it is the start of the solution… I hope the lesson you can take from this is the opportunity to be just and fair… use that in your everyday lives and in your future careers,” said panelist Steven Tilghman. 

That sentiment was obviously shared.

“This movie is a call to action. I think we continue to need new leaders to step up to accommodate and find out the injustice in our community. If we can make a difference that is really what we want to do. I am really passionate about equal rights and fair for all,” said panelist Milford Adams. 

Ultimately, the basic goal of these screenings, panelists, and discussions was to prompt thought and reflection within the Denver community. Just being able to get people to see what they previously hadn’t allows them to expand their perspective on what is happening in the world around them. 

“A lot of people here hadn’t seen the docuseries, so I honestly mainly wanted people to come and see it and be in a space where they would be able to discuss it since it is such a powerful docuseries. That was my main hope, is that people would come see it here,” said Rideout. 

Rideout’s goal was achieved in the end with great attendance at the final event.

 “It was such a powerful movie, if you haven’t seen it you got to see it,” said Denver mayor, Michael Hancock. 

Colin Kaepernick and the importance of his message

Dr. Damien Thompson addresses students at Regis University //Rose Ferrie

By: Rose Ferrie, Staff Reporter

For those of you who didn’t know, this past week was Social Justice Week; there were many events pertaining to issues like feminism, anti-hate speech and sustainability. I attended an event regarding police brutality and Black Lives Matter. The Colin Kaepernick talk was a forum to open up the discussion about Black Lives Matter and police brutality, the criminalization of black men and men of color, and what Colin’s actions did for them.

I got to talk to Awah Tilong, the President of BSA, and a few of their members before the conversation to see what their goals were for this event. She said she wanted this to be a space for a productive conversation, for people to speak their truth, and be comfortable to disagree. Minds were not going to be changed in one conversation, maybe not ever, but this was a place to educate and increase apathy.

Once people had settled in, Damien Thompson, faculty advisor of BSA and professor here at Regis, set some ground rules for the night. This was a safe space, speak from the heart without judgement, listen from the heart with no need to agree, don’t rehearse your argument truly listen, be mindful of everyone and let all have a turn to speak.

This program was broken into 3 sections: “speed dating” (fast two person conversations), small group discussion, and a big group discussion. Talking one-on-one with people and asking how they felt about the Kaepernick situation was eye opening. One idea stuck with me and I have continued to ponder it: Did Kaepernick’s kneeling controversy end up distracting people from his initial purpose of raising awareness for police brutality against Black people? He may have had good intentions but his act of kneeling was twisted into a sign disrespect to America and its troops, his purpose was often lost in the media. He was able to disturb millions of Americans weekly Sunday rituals of watching Sunday football, he rocked that boat and started a conversation, just maybe not the one he was hoping for.

The conclusion of the night was that the criminalization of Black boys and men is a serious issue and Colin Kaepernick leveraged his social positioning to make a statement by kneeling during our national anthem. This situation was ostracized from being a peaceful protest for police brutality to disrespecting America and American troops. We are so patriotic that we disregard the racism right in front of us. Racism is rampant and blatantly so in the acts of brutality that affect African American men and boys as well as other men and boys of color. I do not wish to change anyone’s feelings about this situation, the goal of this conversation was not to prove a right or wrong but to get to the root issue: not every American is equal. The importance of what Kaepernick did and what this talk concluded with is that we need to address the attack on boys and men of color. They are being killed because of what they look like by people who should be protecting them. They are Americans and we need to live up to “liberty and justice for all”.

Black History Month: What Regis Students Can Do

(Photo: AfricanAmericanHistoryMonth.gov)

               Black History Month is a celebration of African American culture and history. According to Time Magazine, in 1926 Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (previously called the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, which he formed with Jesse E. Moorland in 1915), created the first "Negro History Week." Woodson created it, as well as the Association because he was frustrated with how African-Americans were not part of the narrative in history lessons. The predecessor to what is now Black History Month began in the second week of February, as it contains both Abraham Lincoln's and Frederick Douglass' birthdays. According to Time Magazine, the celebrations of the history week picked up quickly. However, in the mid 1960s, during the Civil Rights Movement, colleges and universities expanded on the History Week, turning it into Black History Month. From there, in 1976, President Ford then decreed Black History Month to be a national celebration.

               But to truly understand what Black History Month means, as well as what Regis students can do to support students of color on campus, an interview with the Black Student Alliance (BSA) on the Regis campus proved very insightful. While there were mixed reactions to the perspective of Black History Month, the overall feeling was that Black History Month is not enough. As one member of BSA said, "You say it out loud, but nothing really happens;" there is a feeling of inaction regarding the representation as well as the education of the role that people of color play not only in history but everywhere in academia and beyond. When asked if the BSA is doing anything specific to commemorate the month, the answer was no. While there is Anti-Oppression Week, V-Day, and Justice Week to mention a few campus-wide events, it is expected that the BSA would be the one to completely structure the celebration of Black History Month, which many of the BSA members felt was too much pressure as they would be making something completely new.

               However, Regis students can do things in order to support the people of color on campus. For instance, the inclusion of people of color on flyers or ads around campus, minimizing people of colors' experiences both in and outside campus can help. Along with this, the BSA emphasized the importance of not expecting every person of color to answer every question about their community or the effect a topic has on them. They encouraged us to ask more thoughtful questions whose answers cannot be found by looking elsewhere. One of the biggest forms of support is integrating people of color more into the campus. Another aspect that the BSA talked about was the idea of tokenization; often times, the people of color on campus or outside of it who become tokenized are expected to answer questions or queries for the whole of the community. As a result, the people of color are seen as "other," and not as who they are, which are people, as well as our fellow students.

               For those interested, the Black Student Alliance meets on Wednesdays, from 4pm – 5pm, in Clarke 138.

Margaret Gentry Staff Reporter

Are You Woke?

        Are You Woke was an event held at Regis’ Walkers Pub on February 7. This event highlighted the affinity groups at Regis. The groups represented were the Black Student Alliance (BSA), Brown (Latino, Chicano, Hispanic, etc.) Student Alliance (SOMOS), Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA), Asian Student Alliance ASA), Hawaiian Student Alliance (HSA) and finally the International Student Alliance (ISA).

        All exist to create safe spaces and support to their respective communities while during their college experiences. All the different alliance groups host community events, like the upcoming luaua hosted by HSA!

        For more information about Regis’ different affinity groups, visit the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Excellence located in the Coors Life Direction Center. More information can also be found here: http://www.regis.edu/About-Regis-University/University-Offices-and-Services/Diversity.aspx.

Elisia Medina Staff Reporter