Kansas University Black Prospective, Black Student Union

After the Department of African Studies was established in 1970, the Black Student Union (BSU) continued to advocate for and support Black students on campus. This brochure outlines the purpose and goals of BSU, and includes information regarding Black fraternities and sororities, the Office of Urban Affairs, Supportive Educational Services, the Department of African Studies, Financial Aid, and the Offices of the Dean of Men and Women.

AAAS archives document that students such as Lorene Brown (BSU’s Homecoming Queen in 1969), Zetta Jones, and Gary Jackson visited Black Studies programs in Illinois and on the West and East Coasts to gather resources in support of building a department of Africana Studies at KU.

AAAS archives also show that three full-time professors were instrumental in creating curriculum for Black Studies: Mr. T. Copeland, Mr. Clement Keto, and Mr. Edward Eddy. Part-time appointments were given to Mr. Herb Ruffin, Mr. Dan Wilson, Mr. Horace Bond, and Mrs. Lelia Waters. Mrs. Joanne Hurst served as the Black Studies Secretary. This group helped transform the program into a department that elevated public scholarship and service.

Founding Chair Jacob Gordon described the department as "an embassy of Black student affairs" that bolstered existing BSU efforts through academic counseling and providing services to Black communities. The department extended public outreach and cultural promotion to reach audiences in public schools and the Leavenworth prison system. Professor Gordon cited Kwame Nkrumah, W.E.B. DuBois, and Carter G. Wilson as major influences on his leadership philosophy, which centered on the dissemination of knowledge and continual education.