Blessed Stephen ’25, president of newsUniversity’s Black Student Union (BSU), partnered with the DiMenna-Nyselius Library to plan and present an exhibit on the history and impact of Black voices on campus.
In February, the DiMenna-Nyselius Library unveiled an exhibit featuring photographs, artifacts, and commentary on the history of the student organization. The exhibit was curated by BSU President Blessed Stephen ’25, who collaborated with library staff to create the event.
A double major in art history and an individually designed program in art, advocacy, and community education, Stephen knew the library would be an excellent partner for the exhibit, not only for its available space and archives collection but also for the curatorial expertise of its librarians.
“I approached the library because it had archival materials on student clubs and because it hosted exhibitions similar to what I envisioned,” she said. “I also knew the librarians would be an excellent resource.”
To initiate planning, Stephen reached out to Jennifer Mottolese, research and outreach librarian, and Lisa Thornell, head of library outreach and community, during the fall semester. As the three began to conceptualize the project, it grew in scope.
Although Stephen initially intended to present a history of ý’s BSU, she also knew there were important Black experiences and milestones to share beyond the short history of her club, founded in 2016.
One important event was the takeover of Xavier Hall in 1969 by Black students seeking racial equality, an event Stephen learned about through a class assignment in which she explored historical issues of the student newspaper, then titled The Stag. Another was the hiring of , ý’s first Black faculty member, in 1957.
