Minority students find ways to empower themselves
BYU is known for being a diverse university, with students representing 105 countries around the world, according to BYU's website. That is true, but the student population is still 83 percent Caucasian.
The Black community makes up less than one percent of the student population on campus. That is why the BYU Black Student Union meets together each week to do activities together. On Feb. 14, they had an activity they called “Black is Beautiful,” in which they did a photoshoot. Black Student Union president Kiana Cena recruited makeup artists and photographers for members to look their best for a few photos. Cena came up with the idea because she felt there was a lack of representation for regular, everyday people in magazines.
“Part of the idea I got is that there is not a lot of representation for minorities,” Cena said. “I think that's true of almost all people. We feel a lot of the magazines don't reflect how we look, so it would be really empowering to see yourself as that model.”
Cena did not give members any kind of creative direction to allow them to empower themselves.
“It's about putting that empowering stance back on the individual,” Cena said. “That's why we told them that they can choose how they want to dress and how they want to do their makeup because it's about what you want to say about yourself and about that sort of idea that I am beautiful.”
The photoshoot was a new experience for many of the students, but it was a good opportunity for them to think about how they empower themselves. Freshman Kofi Aidoo said he feels empowered by seeing what else is out there.
“Finding new ways to better yourself is good,” Aidoo said. “When you try something new and you're successful, it is pretty empowering.”
Sophmore Jasmyn Piepgrass said empowerment means being happy with yourself.
“It has a lot to do with just accepting where you are and what you have,” Piepgrass said. “I think a lot of times we are so focused on 'I want this' and we don't pay attention to what you already have going for you.”
Melodie Jackson took this advice and said the photoshoot gave her another chance to love herself.
“I kind of already feel empowered,” Jackson said. “I'm very confident in my own skin and I'm very confident in who I am because I know who I am.
Outside of this activity and the Black Student Union, other minority students see the importance of empowering themselves.
Sammi Lew, a student from Hong Kong, has felt others look down on her because she is an Asian and not Caucasian in America. She said she sees how important it is for people from any background to find ways to empower themselves so they can know of their individual worth.
“Everyone has the potential to become great, even in the poorest of circumstances,” Lew said. “Difference is no reason to make people feel lesser. We have a life on Earth that is meant to be lived and enjoyed, not where people feel they are worthless and can’t contribute to society because other people tell them that.”
Lew said being LDS taught her to see everyone as a child of God, which allows her to see others for their individual talents and abilities instead of their gender, race or background. Lew finds ways to serve others and contribute to society to empower herself.
“I find ways to empower myself by looking at my strengths and working on them,” Lew said. “I partake in education to help empower myself so that I can contribute to society and I build skills to help others."
Alondra Amaro, a senior at BYU, grew up in Detroit, Michigan and was raised by her mother, who is originally from Mexico. Amaro is the oldest in her family and a first generation college student, and her road to BYU was not an easy one. Her mother worked multiple jobs to take care of her family and sacrificed a lot to get Amaro to college. It's those sacrifices that help empower Amaro.
“My mom could have easily said 'Alondra, you need to work. You can't go to school, even though I want you to,' but she didn't,” Amaro said. “For me, that's empowering that I will be able to break that cycle when I graduate in April.”
Amaro also felt she needed to come to school and be an example for her siblings and her community, who she has seen be oppressed. She said she saw others talk down to her people because they didn't speak English well and because they were not as educated,. Because of that, she worked hard to be here to give back to her community and empower them to make a better life for themselves.
“I don't want kids in my shoes to not go to school and continue that cycle of poverty and low socioeconomic status and being uneducated,” Amaro said. “It's not impossible to go to school, it's important.”
Amaro and Lew have seen their time at BYU as a huge blessing, along with Lew. They see how empowering it is to help each other because of their divine identity, especially in the world today.
“We are all sons and daughters of God,” Amaro said. “We're all supposed to support each other, especially with the things that are going on.”