What does it mean to be black? Growing up as a black boy raised by the white family that adopted me, I was never exposed to much that could help me understand my identity as a black person. My race has always been a very complicated part of my identity that I didn't really understand.

In school I was told by black and white kids that I wasn't black because I didn't fit the stereotypes they knew. In these situations, I was always reminded that I really had no idea what it means to be black. I didn't feel like I was any different because of my skin color, but I was made to feel that way by others. I didn't have a resource to help me understand what it means to be black, and I didn't really know that I needed one.

When I came to Carleton College, I quickly became interested in the student organization, Black Student Alliance, which surrounded me with a community of interesting students who helped me answer my questions. I began to feel more comfortable with my blackness and gained a clearer view of what it means to be black.

After winter break, I joined the BSA board as the freshman representative. When the end of the school year came and it was time to pick a new board, enthusiasm about BSA was diminishing, and I was the only current board member interested in returning this year.

I guess that means I am the president of Black Student Alliance.

At first, the realization that I was in control of BSA freaked me out. I wasn not elected to the position, so how could I know if I was capable of leading the organization?

What does it mean to be the leader of Black Student Alliance?

My biggest concern was the fact that my views don't represent the views of the organization. I disagree with a lot of the opinions I have heard from many fellow BSA members about free speech, gun regulation, and even what actions are considered racist or controversial. I worried that I would not be accepted as a leader because I thought I disagreed with what BSA stands for.

This led me to ask, "What does BSA stand for?"

I talked to people within the community and realized that the views that conflicted with mine were only from the most vocal members of the community, and those views alone did not represent BSA.

I was reminded that there is a variety of backgrounds, interests, hobbies, political opinions, personality types within the black community. When I focused on the individuals that make up the community, rather than the community as one entity, I was able to see that the purpose of Black Student Alliance is to bring black students together despite our differences.

In a society where stereotypes have made black people out to be copies of each other, we need to stand together and appreciate what makes us unique. Appreciating our individuality is important to our self-esteem, and it helps us foster a healthy black community.

Now that I am the president of Carleton's Black Student Alliance, I know that I have a lot of power. I can make BSA exactly how I want it, or I can let the members contribute to the success of the organization.

With the help of BSA's vice president, Aislinn Mayfield, I want to focus on giving black students an opportunity to express themselves and showcase their individuality. By creating an atmosphere that values uniqueness, BSA at Carleton will become a strong community again, because it is the differences that bring us together and allow us to have effective dialogue about important issues that black people face every day.

Beyond the Carleton community, I encourage black students to join or start organizations like Black Student Alliance and I want to inspire black people everywhere to show what being black means to them.