By IU Corps
As president of the IU student chapter of the NAACP, sophomore and anthropology major, Aissatou Mbengue, connects underrepresented minority students and student groups with service and advocacy opportunities for civil rights and social justice causes. Nationally, more than 2 million activists work through the NAACP to foster inclusiveness and provide issues education.
Q: Tell us about the NAACP.
A: NAACP was founded in 1909 and was the first civil rights organization in the United States. It came out of the Springfield massacre in Illinois, where Black businesses, homes and politicians were targeted and massacred. Gradually, NAACP expanded to include the and college division, which represents our chapter. We’ve been on IU’s campus since at least 1946. Our motto is to educate, embrace, and empower.
Q: Are you working on any exciting events or projects?
A: To celebrate Black History Month, the IU chapter held events each day during the week of Feb. 6, starting with an NAACP 101 event where attendees had the opportunity to meet with charter founders. During another event, the chapter partnered with Bloomington organization New Leaf, New Life to send letters to incarcerated people to prevent loneliness and foster community. In addition, they hosted a mental health event focused on the ways college life can impact wellbeing. The week ended with a cookout to get people excited for the annual IU NAACP Black Cabaret, which highlights Black excellence from students and faculty.
The IU is currently partnering with the IU Democrats and the Monroe County Black Democratic Caucus to work on progressive activism techniques.
NAACP is helping people do action-based activism — activism that is rooted in change and not just words and discussion. That’s what the NAACP prides itself on. When you come to our events, you will walk away with something. Whether it’s that you gain a new skill, you learn about a new resource, or we’ve opened your eyes to an issue that’s maybe impacting Black and Brown individuals, you won’t walk away from our events empty.
Q: What is the importance of Black History Month in your work?
A: One of my favorite parts of Black History Month is learning about the parts of Black history and culture that our schools don’t always teach. History can often be misconstrued, or things can get lost in translation. If you were to ask most people where MLK died, [they would say] it was on the March of Washington — but it was in Memphis, Tennessee. People die for this history. History is continuously repeating itself in that sense, and historically we have been set back in a multitude of ways. It’s important for us to keep working and serve as equalizers, because a lot of the places where Black individuals are displaced is resources.
Q: How can people help make a change?
A: I think what we need to focus more on is “How can we make changes in terms of programming, policy and legislation?” To me, that is the only way to make genuine change. On top of that, once those changes are made, how are we holding people accountable? The unfortunate reality is when a Black person walks into a room, no matter what their status is, they’re seen as a Black individual before anything else. It’s like, you’re not always wearing your credentials on your sleeve. You’re Black before anything.
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