‘We’re going backwards’: the Black student unions being defunded on US campuses

The Black student union at the University of Utah. Photograph: Courtesy of Nevaeh Parker

For Nevaeh Parker, the president of the Black student union (BSU) at the University of Utah, Black History Month is usually a buzzing time on campus.

The school’s BSU hosts several events – kickback parties and movie screenings – throughout the month. The Black cultural center, where students would usually congregate and attend activities, would be full. And the month’s crown jewel would typically be a conference at the college for Black high schoolers in the area.