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Students and advisors highlight Black Student Union activities, county-wide Black History quilt project
Summary
Black Student Union advisors and students from River City High and Bridgeway Island presented MLK Day reflections, local BSU activities and a Yolo County quilt exhibit kickoff scheduled for Feb. 3; a guaranteed Sacramento State admission partnership was mentioned as ongoing work.
Patrice Griffith, a co-advisor for the Black Student Unions (BSU) at River City High School and Bridgeway Island, introduced student leaders and summarized BSU activities at the Washington Unified School District board meeting on Jan. 23.
Griffith described BSU work honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., noted student participation in events at the State Capitol, and said the BSUs are partnering with the Yolo County Office of Education on a countywide Black History Month quilt project that will kick off Feb. 3. She said three quilts will be displayed in the West Sacramento library later in the month and that a passport-style program will be part of a quilt tour.
Students from River City — including junior Kailani Griffith, who identified herself as vice president of River City's BSU and a multi-sport athlete — spoke about King's words on intelligence and character and how critical thinking and values relate to student leadership and civic engagement. Bridgeway Island student Mariah Shepherd, a seventh grader, described a Frederick Douglass Day project planned by her school's BSU.
Griffith also told the board the district had supported a pathway guaranteeing admission to Sacramento State for Washington Unified seniors after district staff helped bridge an agreement with Sacramento State; she said that broader county-level leadership is involved in the African American Student Leadership Conference planning.
Why it matters: Student-run BSU activities and district partnerships like the quilt tour and college-access pathways highlight civic engagement, student leadership development and district-level collaborations with the county office of education and higher education partners.
