A New President for Black Student Union Takes Center Stage

As we know California State University Northridge is known for having multiple cultures on campus since winning the High Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award and for students the topic of diversity leads to matters, like, representation and in the eyes of Kiyomi Magee there needed to be more of it for Black students.

To Magee what better way to solve this than to utilize her position as the new Black Student Union president.

“Honestly, I was talking to Bleu [and] I just wanted Black people to be more apparent,” Magee said.

Magee, a junior and Sociologist major with minors of human sexuality who has lived in Los Angeles most of her life and attended a predominantly Latino high school and believes that there was a lack of Black presence there and feels that the necessity of Black students having an influence to create more participation in on-campus organizations.

“Because I am, also, a member of Associated Productions team on campus and I was the only Black person when I joined [it is] not a lot of Black people can do many things on campus if they do not see themselves in those positions,” said Magee.

Since Magee’s joining of Associated Productions team two other Black people have joined creating more influence for Black students in this on-campus organization.

Once Magee was elected president for Black Student Union May 1 of 2018 her reaction was of astonishment and slight excitement.

“It was my birthday and I was excited,” Magee said. “It did not really kick in, until school started.”

As Magee reminiscences about her winning of election, she referred to her emotions as a “plateau of feelings” of that day.

Having been elected, the new president was given words of encouragement from the former president and Delta Sigma Theta Sorer, Kaya Tillery.

“She [former president] that this was not going to be easy,” said Magee. “It is hard, but you can do it.”

Another thing occurred on the day Magee was elected was the witnessing of the election of new board members. Since then the new president has expressed nothing short of gratitude of the board members for their help in her transition of becoming of president and being a public figure on campus for Black students.

“I would not be anything without my board behind,” Magee said.

As her as presidency expands, Magee is still learning various tasks at hands.

“It’s a ride…I cannot tell you a hundred percent what it is,” Magee said.

Although, Magee understood the responsibilities of becoming a president she still believes that the actual experience is completely new and takes time to process.

“I kind of knew what my roles were, but all that has changed as I continue,” said Magee.

Upon being president, many of Magee’s tasks have been delegating for Black Student Union and recognizing that she has become a public figure that has significance within CSUN’s Black community.

Even while taking in her role as president, Magee still believes that many other improvements can be made for Black Student Union.

“A lot of people had the idea that Black Student Union is an umbrella organization for all the Black organizations on campus and be a guide to those,” said Magee.

From feeling this expectation, Magee wants to work on the connection between Black Student Union and other Black organizations to create unity. Another thing Magee wants to focus on is the retention rates of Black students which according to CSUN Counts the Fall 2016 is 4.6 percent.

“I not only want to promote us culturally, but academically,” Magee said.

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