University of California, Irvine. Black Student Union.

The Black Student Union (BSU) was established in 1971, at UC Irvine in response to the reorganization of the Equal Opportunities Program and to address affirmative action and race relation issues . The 2009-2010, mission of BSU is to create and promote a supportive and inclusive community that provides educational, cultural, and social programming that inspires the black student community through activism and outreach. The organization serves as the umbrella for all black organizations on campus with the ultimate goal to provide a welcoming and united space for the community while also stimulating an awareness of political, economic, and social forces affecting the people of the African Diaspora. Since the group's inception, the BSU has chosen to change names as the values and goals of the organization evolved. The organization was known as the African American Student Union from 1990 to 1993. In 1993 it changed its name to the Afrikan Student Union. In 2009 the group voted to change the name back to the Black Student Union in an effort to reconnect with the history of political activism during the Black Campus movement in the mid 1960s and the mid 1970s.

From the description of University of California, Irvine, Black Student Union records, 1971 - 2006 1997 - 2003 (University of California, Irvine). WorldCat record id: 632413506

Historical Background

The Black Student Union (BSU) was established in 1971 at UC Irvine in response to the reorganization of the Equal Opportunities Program and to address affirmative action and race relation issues. The 2009-2010 mission of BSU is to create and promote a supportive and inclusive community that provides educational, cultural, and social programming that inspires the black student community through activism and outreach. The organization serves as the umbrella for all black organizations on campus with the ultimate goal to provide a welcoming and united space for the community while also stimulating an awareness of political, economic, and social forces affecting the people of the African Diaspora.

Since the group's inception, the BSU has chosen to change names as the values and goals of the organization evolved. The organization was known as the African American Student Union from 1990 to 1993. In 1993 it changed its name to the Afrikan Student Union. In 2009 the group voted to change the name back to the Black Student Union in an effort to reconnect with the history of political activism during the Black Campus movement in the mid 1960s and the mid 1970s.

From the guide to the University of California, Irvine, Black Student Union records, Bulk, 1997-2003, 1971-2006, (Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine Libraries)