Mecca Baker interviewed by Ashleigh Williams, 2019

Creator:

Baker, Mecca, Williams, Ashleigh, and Snyder, Hannah

Extent:

778.4 Megabytes 1 digital file and 00:22:31 Duration (HH:MM:SS.mmm)

Scope and content:

Records an interview with Mecca Baker, who reflects on her experiences as a transfer student at James Madison University and her leadership in Black student organizations at a predominantly white institution. The interview documents her search for community, increasing involvement in the Black Student Alliance (BSA), and progression from Parliamentarian and Treasurer to President. Discusses efforts to revitalize BSA from a small, declining organization with limited institutional memory into a more visible, active group; initiatives to redesign the logo, expand programming, and preserve organizational records through donation to Special Collections; and the broader context of Black student life at JMU in the mid to late 2010s. Additional topics include campus protests and marches addressing racial issues, attempts to bridge divides between Greek and non-Greek Black students through events such as "To Greek or Not to Greek," participation in Esteem Models, and evolving conversations about mental health and sexuality within the Black community.

Language:

English

Physical facet:

(.wav)

Names:

Baker, Mecca
Williams, Ashleigh
Snyder, Hannah

Access and use