Members of the Northwestern University Black Alumni Association are more than a quarter of the way to reaching their $25,000 fundraising goal for improvements to the building that houses African American Student Affairs and Multicultural Student Affairs.
The campaign has set a May 2011 deadline for fundraising efforts to revamp the building better known among NU students as the “Black House,” 1914 Sheridan Road.
Recent NU alum Zachary Parker, Communication ’09, said he started the Black House Initiative after visiting campus last spring and seeing the house needed major improvements.
“There was outdated furniture that was falling apart, broken tables and things like that,” Parker said. “The idea sparked that we as alumni should take the initiative to take care of this place that has been home to us so it can continue to be important to future students.”
Since last May, the Black House Initiative, which has partnered with the Northwestern Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Program, has collected $6,500 from 71 donors.
Another key component of the Black House Initiative is to encourage prospective students looking for a close black community in college, Parker said.
“We’re not only assisting current students but benefiting prospective students,” he said. “They’ll be able to see that family and that sharing atmosphere.”
Students have been complaining about the state of the Black House for years, Parker said.
McCormick junior Tajudeen Sanusi said the Black House needs these funds to improve its aesthetics and function.
“They have to put plastic over the windows to keep heat in,” he said. “It’s not that inviting at times.”
All of the money raised will go toward new furniture, art, decor and other improvements to the building itself.
NUBAA president Kerry Gray called the Black House the center of community among black students, alumni, staff and professors on campus.
“I hope the improvements will provide an atmosphere and environment not only conducive to learning but also socializing,” he said. “We want a place where people can go to be comfortable and communicate with each other.”
The Black House was established in 1972 after a group of 110 black students petitioned for more rights from NU administration, including a building and African-American advisor.
The history of the building is another reason to keep it intact, Sanusi said.
“A lot of people worked hard to get that house,” he said. “It’d be a disservice to their legacy if people weren’t working to keep what they had promised.”
