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Student Black Student Unions pitch Portland‑area CultureFest, report on Black College Expo field trip
Summary
Student leaders from Tigard‑Tualatin's Black Student Unions outlined plans for a regional CultureFest on Feb. 22, asked for district promotion and institutional support, and recounted a recent Black College Expo that exposed students to scholarships and HBCU options.
Student leaders from Tualatin High School and Tigard High School described current Black Student Union activities, a planned Portland‑area BSU CultureFest on Feb. 22 and a recent trip to the Black College Expo.
Campbell, president of the Tualatin High School BSU, said the Portland Metro BSU CultureFest will be held Feb. 22 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Lake Ridge High School and will bring together BSUs from across the metro area for panels, cultural workshops and tables from Black‑owned businesses. “This event is about providing the knowledge and tools people need to create lasting change,” Campbell said, and students asked the district to promote the event on newsletters, social media and school announcements.
Students described the festival’s focus on joy, leadership and networking rather than performative observances. They said they are seeking institutional backing and ongoing support so the event becomes an annual effort rather than a one‑day observance.
Tigard High vice president Zoe Ray Gupta described a separate field trip to a Black College Expo held Jan. 16, organized by the National College Resource Foundation. “Twelve of us attended from Tigard High,” she said, and students reported meeting representatives from roughly 50 colleges, attending seminars on scholarships and entrepreneurship, and learning about concrete scholarship offers such as an $8,000 award referenced at a table.
Board members thanked students for the presentations and asked how the district could support expanded access to events like the expo and the CultureFest. Superintendent Dr. Udo Senatad and board members said they will promote student events through district channels and consider institutional support for recurring activities.
