Black Student Alliance at Yale (BSAY)

Who are we?

The Black Student Alliance at Yale (BSAY) is a multicultural organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of Black students at Yale through social justice, community action, and social events. As a student-run organization, BSAY is responsible for advocating for the students at Yale, taking political stands, and creating a sense of community necessary to unite students to work for positive change. On-campus, we strive to meet the needs of the Black community by holding weekly meetings that are pertinent to the lives of Black students on campus and that create a supportive community for all Black students at Yale. BSAY strives to create a safe and active community in order to adequately represent and respond to the Black community.

What do we do?

Yale Cultural Kinship (YCK): Empowering Communities Through Advocacy

Advocacy, or Activism

Building upon the impactful fall event, members of the Black Student Alliance at Yale (BSAY) actively engage in distributing vital resources to the community through YCK. This initiative stands as a testament to our ongoing commitment to advocate for and support the needs of our community. By extending a helping hand, we aim to foster resilience and empower individuals within our community.

Yale University Prison Project (YUPP): Nurturing Awareness and Abolition

Advocacy, or Activism

In collaboration with YUPP, BSAY is excited to present a thought-provoking event series. This collaboration includes abolition reading groups that delve into critical discussions surrounding criminal justice reform. Additionally, we’re introducing book swaps as part of this series, promoting a culture of knowledge-sharing and fostering a community dedicated to understanding and dismantling systemic issues.

Black Harvard-Yale Showcase Fundraiser: Elevating Performances, Empowering Futures

Fundraising

BSAY is proud to present the Black Harvard-Yale Showcase Fundraiser during the highly anticipated Harvard-Yale weekend. This exceptional event celebrates the rich diversity of talent within Yale and Harvard’s Black performance groups. More than a showcase, it serves a noble cause – raising funds for a scholarship dedicated to supporting a Black high school senior in New Haven. By blending cultural expression with philanthropy, we aim to create a lasting impact on the educational journey of a promising young individual, embodying our commitment to empower the future leaders of our community.

Contact Co-Presidents Momona Hadish (momona.hadish@yale.edu) or Anna Elesinmogun (anna.elesinmogun@yale.edu) for any questions. Learn more here.

Mission

The Black Student Alliance at Yale (BSAY) is a multicultural organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of Black students at Yale through social justice, community action, and social events. Understanding that the world changes for the better through the determined efforts of concerned people and that we are strongest when we are united, BSAY exists in order to create that unity and foster that change in hopes of furthering the cause of equality. As a student-run organization, BSAY is responsible for advocating for the students at Yale, taking political stands, and creating a sense of community necessary to unite students to work for positive change. On-campus, we strive to meet the needs of the Black community by holding weekly meetings that are pertinent to the lives of Black students on campus and that create a supportive community for all Black students at Yale. BSAY strives to create a safe and active community in order to adequately represent and respond to the Black community. This sense of community must come from both current social activities and from a sense of shared history and culture. Our strength comes from not only the collective struggle of our contemporaries but also the cumulative struggles of thousands who have sacrificed before us. Let us strive in our efforts so that we may fulfill the dreams of those who struggled before and brighten the futures of those yet to come.

Student Leaders

Birikti Kahsai – Coordinator/President

Activities

BSAY Welcome Black Cookout Direct Service We host the Welcome Black Cookout every single year at the beginning of the year so that students can come together for a cookout where food is served and people get to see and meet each other after summer. This year we hosted this event on 08/31 at Scantlebury park and had about 200 people in attendance. We also met a local non-profit (Angel Care Foundation) and were able to learn about their foundation. It is also the first-year students introduction to the Black community at Yale; therefore, it is extremely important for us since it is all about community and the Black students of Yale coming together during a singular event. Kwanzaa Ball Advocacy or Activism The Kwanzaa Ball occurs in the winter and is a celebration of our culture. Two years ago, we celebrated the first Kwanzaa Ball at Yale in years. We bonded, celebrated, watched performances, had dinner together, and danced. This event was widely successful in strengthening the BSAY community and we hope to continue the tradition. We would like to keep the same set up as last year with the plan of having dinner to celebrate the winter holidays with one another. In times of hardship and as the semester is coming to an end with a long road ahead to exams, we find it important to make sure the members of our organization feel loved and celebrated. Kwanzaa Ball will aid BSAY in strengthening our community by creating and maintaining a space for Black Students on Yale?s Campus. BSAY “Surviving Next Four Administration” Advocacy or Activism This event is to help black student at Yale know what to expect with the new administration in office, from facts of what they previously stated they wanted to create policies for to ways we can protect ourselves and organizations that can help us as well. Migrant Aid Fundraiser Fundraising BSAY is tentatively planning a migrant aid fundraiser in collaboration with a number of other cultural organizations. While still in early planning stages we are aiming for it to be a cultural showcase sometime in April. Kwanza Ball Social/Cultural/Team-Building One of BSAYs signature events, Kwanzaa Ball pays homage to the diversity of African American traditions and culture. Regularly bringing together all corners of the Yales Black Community, Kwanzaa Ball uplifts the themes of community, service, and an appreciation for the work of Black activists and trailblazers on whose shoulders we stand today.

How Others Get Involved

By attending a meeting or emailing a member of board.