I started coming to the Black Cultural Center (BCC) frequently during the spring semester of my freshman fall. My friend had recently become a research intern at ‘The House,’ a nickname for the BCC, and so I came to hang out with her while she was on shift. When I was first introduced to the BCC, I didn’t know what to expect.
I went to a predominantly Black and brown high school and there had never really been a Black student union or a space at school dedicated to Blackness. I was surprised that the BCC was actually a literal house with a living room, kitchen, classrooms, and a library. I was amazed by the photographs on the walls of previous classes who took their annual BCC Porch photo in front of the steps of The House. I gazed over the plaques on the wall listing students who’d won awards such as the Black Alumni Prize and hoped that maybe one day my name could be up there amongst the others. And would you know it, last spring, I won the Black Alumni Prize which is awarded annually to honor the sophomore or junior Black student(s) who has shown exemplary academic performance and community service.
Immediately, the BCC became a place I loved to go to with my friends. Our favorite spot is the first floor. We love sitting in the living room and watching reality TV shows like The Bachelor or Love is Blind. We religiously binge watch shows when they come out. We also play Just Dance and jump around the living room trying to follow the dancers on screen. While we do all this, various other Black students come in and out to join us or stop to say hi for a minute before heading upstairs to do work in the computer room, going to class, or playing with the various video game systems all the way on the third floor.
I love going to the BCC after class to sit down and see who I’ll bump into. Whatever my friends and I are watching on the TV always starts a conversation. As I’m writing this, my friend is watching a spin-off of the Great British Bake Off by AMP and Beta Squad on YouTube.
The BCC is not in the mix of the other class buildings or things on campus. I enjoy that because walking to the BCC feels like an escape. For an hour (or four, I spend maybe too much time here, lol) the anxiety that comes from school is put on pause and I can just breathe. I’m reminded that life exists outside the stress of school, I am reminded of the greatness of the other Black students when I hear them talk about their classes and what they’re working on, I’m reminded that I can be myself and be loved and accepted, and I’m reminded that I can take up space on campus.
Aside from just coming here to hangout, Black student groups like SASS (Swarthmore Afro-American Student Association) and BiMS (Black in Math and Statistics) host events here and that is always a great chance for me to meet new people. After meeting them at the BCC, I’m able to say hi to them when walking around campus on my way to class or lunch which extends the warmth of the BCC to everyday on campus life.
The BCC is emerging from a period of transition. We are proudly led by Dean Karima Bouchenafa and Program Coordinator, Mrs. Simone Hayes-Walton. After the COVID-19 pandemic began, many on-campus groups and cultural centers were in a bit of a lull. I joined Swarthmore its first year back in in-person operation and I have witnessed firsthand life return to the BCC. With increasing events occurring in the center, the arrival of Dean Karima, the emergence of an even more diverse group of first years from Class of ‘27, I am excited to see the future of the BCC. I’m also so excited for the porch photo, of which I am always front and center! I am so grateful to the BCC for being a home away from home and giving me so much—whether that be great food from events, amazing friendships, or the ability to take up space on a campus where people who look like me are the minority. I could not have made it this far if not for the BCC and the energy that fills ‘The House.’
The BCC is the only place on campus that is unapologetically Black. It is the only place on campus, outside of my room, that I feel ownership over. I feel at home at the BCC and writing this in my junior year makes me feel a bit sad that when I graduate it will no longer be mine. The beauty of the BCC is that everyone has their own relationship with it and I know that they can attest that they feel ownership over it as well. Though we come for different reasons, (I come here to be silly, but I’ve gotten work done here too!) The House is a grounding place for us Black students to be reminded of who we are and of home.
If you are a current Black student at Swarthmore, I encourage you to come hang out in the BCC more–no matter your class year, it is never too late to make it your own. If you are about to join us at Swarthmore or thinking about attending, I urge you to make the BCC your first stop.