Black Student Union Recognized at Civility Awards for Campus Conversation

On Tuesday, Rockhurst University’s Black Student Union was recognized by local public policy advocacy organization Consensus for its work to build bridges and create conversations among students, faculty and staff.

BSU’s members received honorable mention recognition during the annual Civility Awards, an annual ceremony that recognizes the efforts of individuals, events and organizations in the Kansas City community whose efforts help advance the concept of civility and exemplify the “values of respect, integrity, engagement, inclusiveness, objectivity and common ground,” according to the organization.

BSU was recognized for their efforts to create a constructive campus discourse on race and related issues surrounding the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the events that followed nationwide throughout 2014 and 2015.

The organization hosted a panel discussion on “civility, diversity and accountability” featuring community leaders alongside RU faculty and staff as part of the University’s 2015 Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. In December 2014, BSU invited members of the University community to participate in a “silhouettes for peace” event on Kinerk Commons.

Kelsey Burrus, the Black Student Union’s current president, said she was grateful to be recognized by Consensus for those and other initiatives.

“It takes a lot of work and a lot of people who really believe in what they’re doing,” she said. “But being recognized by Consensus helped me realize that good things can take time.”

Through their work, Burrus said the BSU has strengthened its partnerships around campus, working with organizations like Voices for Justice and the Student Activities Board on programming that further helps build bridges between students of all backgrounds.

“Ultimately, BSU is trying to promote civility and diversity,” she said. “Despite our differences, a lot of students face similar challenges. That’s the key to creating that dialog — finding ways to relate to all people.”

Civility Award winners during Tuesday morning’s ceremony included Kansas City, Missouri, Police Chief Daryl Forte; Mindy Corporan, who following the death of her father and son in the 2014 shootings at the Jewish Community Center launched SevenDays: Make a Ripple, Change the World, a weeklong commemoration centered on love and acceptance; and lifetime achievement winner SuEllen Fried, a nationally recognized anti-bullying activist who also founded the Reaching Out from Within program in 1982 to help prisoners develop their sense of compassion. Past winners for Consensus’ Civility Awards have included Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Sly James, ’80, and U.S. Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver, among others.