The blue skies of Bucknell on September 10th slowly darkened as white stars exploded across the campus’ canvas, leaving trails of red. Patriotism had struck Bucknell’s bubble, infecting students, professors, and locals of Lewisburg with murmurs of the Presidential Debate streaming at 8:30PM EST.
In the past semester, there had been talk about the effect of the 2024 Presidential Election on the Bucknell community, with many expressing concerns about the unrest to come as the student body divided amongst beliefs. Bucknell’s Black Student Union (BSU) took the initiative to cordially invite Black Students, Faculty, and staff to a live screening of the first 2024 Presidential debate in the Gallery Theatre. Promising a safe space, comfort foods, and community amongst the Black Student Body, the event, to me, was a success. The Black community of Bucknell gathered together in supportive jeers, laughs, and collective waves of disapproval and sheer shock from the comments from Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. There was fruitful discussion of what each candidate succeeded in, such as Kamala’s strength in appealing to the American people and what each candidate lacked, like Donald Trump’s appeal to minority communities. Many remained seated, unable to pry their eyes away from the debate for the entirety of the event, which concluded around 10:45PM EST.
In this safe space, there was comfortability in discussing the misogynoir, racism, and xenophobia overwhelmingly present in Donald Trump’s propositions to the people. Additionally, with the intention of the invite, this proved viable because of the divisiveness of the overwhelmingly white and conservative student body at Bucknell. Creating a place for Black people in Lewisburg to engage in Black politics centers on equity and liberation from the searing white gaze present in Central Pennsylvania.
This event isn’t the only thing BSU will do for the Black community. Stay tuned, because Bucknell’s BSU will be hosting its first congressional meeting of the 2024-2025 school year on Sunday, September 15th, from 2PM to 30M in the ELC Center Room. You can also stay up to date on what’s happening with everything black on Bucknell campus by following the BSU Instagram @bucknellbsu.
–Athaliah Elvis