IS Black Consciousness still alive at HBCUs? By: Rico Rivers

When I was a student at Grambling State University in the 90s, there was a large population of students that were referred to the "conscious" students on campus. They went under the names of The Sons and Daughters of Imhotep, Gods and Goddesses of the Earth, Five Percent Nation of Islam, and the Nation of Islam Student Association. These groups of students added that much needed cultural balance on campus.

There were also individual students who were not members of these groups who also referred to as conscious or campus activists. I was often referred to as conscious, controversial, militant, and even a shit starter. It all depended on what opinion I wrote in the university’s newspaper, The Gramblinite, or in my own self published campus newsletter entitled, "In My Opinion.” I created this campus newsletter because the then editor of the Gramblinite, Reginald Owens, stopped accepting my opinions/articles for publication in the university’s newspaper. What’s interesting is that he never ever gave me a definitive reason to why only MY opinions were no longer accepted for publication in our university’s newspaper.

The Black Conscious Students were the ones who actually challenged the administration whenever there was any sign of administrative shenanigans going on campus. This group of students played a huge role in maintaining the acknowledgement of our history as a people and fueled the blistering hot poetry scene on campus and in the village just off campus. These were the students who also consistently put the challenge to the Student Government Association representatives as well as the Greek letter organizations on campus in debates held throughout campus on what actual leadership was and making sure that they understood they were no better than their fellow students who also paid tuition at the University. The Black Conscious Students were the students who led ALL of the campus protests whenever there was a need for one and in those days, the need appeared to be often.

The conscious students kept everyone on their toes mentally as it related the importance of never forgetting our history and never forgetting who we are as black people in America. They even kept us up on the books written by our African-centered authors. We even had a conscious book store just outside of campus “Black to the Basics” that was owned and operated by a black conscious student. Shout to owner and at that time, GSU student, Zoltan Sharif. This conscious book store employed other conscious students at that time. Neo Soul artist and actress, Erykah Badu, even worked behind the counter selling us the books of some our most beloved African-centered poets and historians when she was a student at GSU.


Is it just me or does it seem as if the black conscious student

community and even “Black Consciousness” have all but

disappeared on the campus of Grambling State University as

well as on other HBCU campuses across the country today?

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