Welcome to the online home of the
Black Graduate and Professional Students Association
at the
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities!

Who are we?
If you are a current graduate or professional school student of African descent at the University
of Minnesota or an alum with a post-baccalaureate degree, we are you! The preamble to our constitution states:

Understanding that graduate and professional students of African descent are an underrepresented population and are collectively faced with issues unique to students of color; that the nation’s communities, schools, and industries are becoming increasingly more diverse in populations, but that diverse voices are not always given a platform or included at an adequate rate in the highest levels of our society; and that the University of Minnesota has a commitment to diversity, the Black graduate and professional students of the University of Minnesota do hereby organize the Black Graduate and Professional Students Association.

Why do graduate and professional students need their own organizations?
Graduate and professional school is diverse in that it includes many sectors of our campus and our lives. Some of us will get our PhD in Philosophy, some our Master in Business Administration and some of us will become MDs, EdDs, and DDSs.  Some of us will be masters in chemical engineering and some of us will be masters in political science.  We study to cure diseases, build bridges, teach future generations, and more!  What we have in common are the expectations and strenuous requirements that come with earning a graduate degree; the commitment and work ethic; the drive and passion.  It is these shared characteristics and our educational experiences that make us feel the need for camaraderie with others who's pursuits are similar to our own.  

What do we mean by “Black” and “of African descent”?
Good question! Our organization is based in the respect and acknowledgement of the unique historical and contemporary struggles of people whose cultural heritage is originally based on the continent of Africa.  This includes a lot of us from a lot of different places; we are from Tennessee and we are from St. Vincent, we are from Ethiopia and we are from Jamaica, we are from New York and we are from Kenya, we are from Sudan, we are from Haiti, and we are from California. We are from everywhere the African Diaspora has reached!  While our organization primarily focuses on those of us who consider ourselves “Black” we welcome allies of any race or ethnicity who embrace the importance of the history, present and future of people of African descent in all sectors of our society and especially in higher education.

---

 

 

Last Updated: 21 November, 2009
contact webmaster