By Blace Carpenter
The Black Africana Student Union (BASU) is a Grand Rapids Community College student organization focused on helping support students of African descent and hosting ethnic events through food, clothing, art, and dances.
With over 50 current members, the group is for all students interested in helping within the community and learning more about African culture.
While there are many reasons to join BASU, Nyla Lewis, 21, of Grand Rapids, listed off a couple benefits.
“I would definitely say networking and meeting friends,” Lewis said
Aside from the connections, there are additional perks to joining BASU.
“We have scholarships, we have financial aid assistants, we have volunteer opportunities, resume workshops,” said Takia Robinson, 18, of Kentwood. “There’s a lot of stuff we can give to our community.”
The Union also focuses on multicultural concerns, such as the Black Lives Matter protests. While other clubs and organizations were canceled due to the pandemic in 2020, BASU members came together to help support the movement.
The organization was deeply affected after the fatal shooting of Partick Lyoya, who was related to one of the students in the group. While it was a devastating event for the organization and many African Americans across the country. The group came together to bring many generations of alumni in to help heal the heartbreak of Lyoya’s passing.
You can learn more about the Black Africana Student Union either at
Explore – Raider Connect or through Facebook at Black African Student Union.
