Young, Gifted, and Black

Inspired by the Queen’s Reads 2020-21 selection “Other Side of the Game” by Amanda Parris, and Nina Simone’s song “To be Young, Gifted and Black,” Queen’s Student Experience Office (SEO) has released a video project celebrating 24 Black student leaders, their contributions to the university community, and the peers and mentors who have inspired and supported them in their work.

As part of Black History Month, the video project also hopes to encourage the Queen’s community to regularly recognize the contributions of Black students throughout the year.

“I think projects like these are so important, especially in predominantly white spaces,” says Nicholas Ramsubick, Co-President of Queen’s EngiQueers and a fifth-year biochemical engineering student. “If the ��ֱ�� community wants to know what they can do to support Black students, they can watch, listen, and financially support Black students.”

In November, ��ֱ�� Reads put out a call to faculties, departments, and student clubs for recommendations of Black students for the project. The student leaders invited to take part include representatives from several faculties, schools and departments.

The student leaders were interviewed about their work at Queen’s by ��ֱ�� Reads Coordinator Clarissa de Leon, a PhD student in the Faculty of Education. Throughout the video, the students also share how their Black peers and mentors have impacted and inspired them during their time at Queen’s.

“We want to showcase the representation of Black students in the commerce program so that more bright young students are open to coming to the program without fear of not belonging,” says Victoria Chukwuma, Co-founder of the Smith Black Business Association and second-year Commerce student. “We hope that one day the perception of race no longer deters Black students from coming to the Smith School of Business.”

The student leaders featured in the Young, Gifted, and Black video project are:

Erica Johnson
Grace Okusanya
Trinda Penniston
Nicholas Ramsubick
Neil Grenade
Victoria Chukwuma
Nakeisha Lodge-Tulloch
Nicole Osayande
Michaela Patterson
Amelia Cockerham
Debi Francis
David Oteng Pabi
Emmanuel Fagbola
Geneviève Norris-Roozmon
Omar Baboolal
Jubilee Lambie
Alyssa Vernon
Catherine Haba
Kemi King
Ansha Nega Ahmed
Samara Lijiam
Ampai Thammachack
Halima Wali
Joseph Oladimeji

Watch the video on the . A playlist of the individual student interviews can also be seen

Visit the Queen’s Reads website for details about all program events, including a March 10 author talk with playwright Amanda Parris at 5pm EST.

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