The Black experience on display at CSB/SJU

At a time when racial inequality has become a subject of conversation more than ever, library archivists are working hard to amplify the stories of Black individuals at CSB/SJU.

In the heart of Alcuin Library, students, visitors and employees alike are showcased in “Black Voices at CSB/SJU,” a display created by librarian and advisor Kathleen Parker and student researcher Kathryn Schug.

The display follows the work of monastery members such as civil activist Sister Joyce Williams, the work of those in leadership positions such as former CSB president Mary Hinton and countless others who have made significant change on campus for the Black community.

Parker and Schug worked together to recover old photos and look into the history of some of CSB/SJU’s untold stories. Schug, who is a first-year, jumped right into the experience.

“It was helpful to have a first–year student for whom the whole story about St. Ben’s and St. John’s is new,” Parker said. “In this way, I had someone who didn’t have any preconceptions.”

Schug agreed with her advisor.

“It was a good opportunity to learn more about the campus I was joining,” Schug said.

The starting point for the display came with the 50th anniversary of the Presidents’ sit-in, a historic event at CSB/SJU where members of the Organization of Afro-Associated Students (O.A.S.S.) demanded both financial and institutional support for inclusivity on campus. Laying out their demands in a manifesto titled “A Proposition Concerning Black Survival,” the sit-in ultimately resulted in the arrest of nine Black students.

This call for change is only one of the many stories featured in the display case. It also details Eugene Dupoch, a 1934 SJU graduate who composed the Johnnie Fight Song, still sung today. It shows the first two Black female students, Kathleen Yanes and Gertrude Danavall, as well as the supporting voice of Sister Claire Lynch upon their arrival. It highlights the work of Father Aiden McCall, who served as the O.A.S.S. club moderator and advocated for the inclusion of a Black Cultural Center.

In addition, the display showcases an aspect that Parker had always felt was missing—the inclusion of women’s stories.

Parker was especially inspired by the work of Sister Williams, whose efforts have been largely unacknowledged.

“This was the first time I’d heard of her, and I’ve been here over 15 years,” Parker said.

Williams, who became the first Black Sister at St. Benedict’s Monastery in 1951, spent the majority of her life advocating for other Black students at CSB. She acted as a mediator, listening to Black students and expressing their concerns to faculty.

Williams stood out to Dee Statum, president of the Black Student Association, as well.

“She had gone through such a racist and prejudiced process to become a Sister. What I loved about her was her persistence, her going back again and again,” Statum said.

Statum was thankful for the work that Schug and Parker put into the display case and glad to see the history of work that Black people have contributed to the institution.

“I feel empowered as a Black person that goes to a white predominant school to see people like me represented,” Statum said.

Parker hoped that the display would make current Black students recognize the power they hold.

“My hope as the library director is to let them know that they are seen and they are heard, and that their stories are valued,” Parker said.

Another display of Black empowerment is at the Gorecki Gallery in the Benedicta Arts Center, which currently displays portraits taken by photographer John Steitz during the George Floyd protests in the summer of 2020.

The exhibit is titled “For George: Portraits of the Movement.” Each photograph displayed has a story to go along with it.

Steitz, the creator of the display, lived less than one mile from what is now known as George Floyd Square. He spent a large portion of the summer of 2020 at the intersection of 38th and Chicago photographing and writing the stories of those who gathered there.

The exhibit amplifies the voices of the individual people who joined together in difficult times to both build community and demand change.

“Students need to see the photos because they are so important. It is not just Black history or American history; it is CSB/SJU history being amplified,” Statum said.

Statum hopes to see more displays like these, as well as more measures to promote inclusivity in the future. For him, this is a step in the right direction, but more is needed for BIPOC voices on campus today.

“As the Black Student Association president, I will take initiative in seeing that diverse representation be carried out as CSB/SJU,” Statum said.

Likewise, Parker and Schug want to champion a more lively, inclusive community.

“When we remain true to our Benedictine values, our community becomes a better place. It’s when we stray from those values that injustice persists,” Parker said.

“Black Voices at CSB/SJU” will be displayed in Alcuin for the foreseeable future, and “For George: Portraits of the Movement” will be open in the Gorecki Gallery until May 9. The gallery is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Students can receive FAE credit on Wednesday nights from 5 to 9 p.m. Also, on April 4 at 5:30 p.m., there will be a panel discussion in the gallery lounge of the BAC featuring 2019 graduate Muqkadeen Poole, CSB senior Crystal Diaz and SJU senior Zach Jester. The event will be facilitated by Malik Stewart, the director of the CSB/SJU Multicultural Center.