Happy Black History Month!
Hello! My name is Annmarie Easy and I am a Junior majoring in Political Science with an emphasis on Cross Regional Politics. I also have two minors—in International Policy and Management and East Asian Languages and Cultures. On campus, I am the Black Student Assembly Co-Executive Director, the Siblings in Solidarity Programming Director, A Fisher Fellow, and a USC Office of Admission Diversity Recruitment Leader.
Black History Month is meant to Celebrate our Black ancestors and their resilience that has brought us this far. I believe wholeheartedly that we must use this month to remember the past and thank them for their work, but I also believe that Black History Month is meant to celebrate our resilience and Black Excellences as Black People now, because even our presence on USC’s campus is historic. Black Students on this campus have come a long way. In 1907, the first Black Student, John Alexander Somerville, graduated from the university’s dental school after recently emigrating from Jamaica. Just a few years later, in 1912, his wife, Vada Watson, became the first Black woman to graduate from the university. That was 112 years ago, and now not only are Black students graduating from institutions, but we are also leaders and change makers. Currently, we have the first Black Chief Financial Officer, Khalil Daniels, serving on the cabinet of the University’s Student Government. We also have the first Black Candidate, Abitha Nunis, running for University Student Government in three years. In addition to that, many student organizations are also breaking barriers to advance our community. One such org is the National Society of Black Engineers, NSBE, which has over 100 members and is among the “first” student orgs to attend the NSBE national conference, among other conventions, annually. Another org is the Cardinal Divas, the first Majorette team to be created at the University. These are just a few examples of the daring students and Black orgs that we have here on campus. But, as you can see, even after years of struggle on this campus, we are still here. We are loud and proud, and that impact has been commemorated with the naming of numerous buildings on campus after Black alumni change makers. USC’s Verna and Peter Dauterive Hall is named after a dynamic Black couple that met while at USC and dedicated themselves to the education of others. The Center for Engineering Diversity is named after John Brooks Slaughter, who was the first African American director of the National Science Foundation and a distinguished professor at the University’s engineering school. So far, these are the only buildings named after Black people on campus, but I know that soon we will have many more.
We walk around with our heads held high knowing that we belong. We are resilient in nature, and we will continue to be. We will continue to be change makers, barrier breakers, and boundary pushers. Our presence at USC will never go unseen. That is the epitome of Black resilience and success, and I know that our ancestors and leaders of the past see us as their wildest dream.
Written by: Annmarie Easy, Class of 2025 – Political Science