In 1969, Reinhardt University integrated the institution with the admission of James "Jay" Jordan, its first African American student. As the enrollment of African American students at Reinhardt University increased, students began to advocate for more opportunities on campus to create cultural spaces, learn more about African American culture, and to provide programming related to African American culture for the campus and local communities. In 1971, the Reinhardt University Black Student Society (BSS), today known as Black and Resilient (BAR) was founded and began to develop initiatives to elevate African American voices at Reinhardt University. Their efforts included participation and leadership in existing student organizations, programming, and consistent contribution of reflections to campus publications via the Black Light column.Â
The below collection includes pictures of BSS involvement on campus, select reflections from the Black Light column, and publications regarding the visit of African American convocation speakers.
The Hiltonian, October 19, 1971