BLACK VOICES OF OHIO STATE
In celebration of Black History Month, BLACKXBOLD Magazine and The Lantern have come together for the fifth installment of the Black Voices Special Edition. In an effort to highlight the Black experience on campus, the project presents stories highlighting and celebrating the experiences and achievements of the local Black community.
BLACKXBOLD President
Now more than ever, highlighting the adversities of the Black community on campus has become a prominent focus for BLACKXBOLD Magazine. This year, our Black Voices collaboration with The Lantern aims to recognize the current on-campus climate toward issues related to DEI and self-expression, while noting the progression of Black students, staff and faculty. We hope people walk away from this edition with a greater appreciation and understanding of the different aspects that make up our culture.
Editor-in-Chief of The Lantern
On behalf of the Lantern staff, we are thrilled to collaborate with BLACKXBOLD Magazine for another installment of this important special edition. This year’s project feels almost eerily well-timed, with threats to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across our country, state and even campus. Now more than ever, the voices of Black and other minority communities need to be uplifted, their stories shared. At The Lantern, we hold steadfast in our commitment to do so, as that is the job of journalists: telling the stories that matter.
Examining the historic parallels of Black student activism at Ohio State
Photo Credit: (left) University Archives, (right) Rania Omer | BXB Social Media Chair
On April 11, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act, which aimed to prevent discrimination on the basis of race, gender and other identifying factors in regard to obtaining housing.
Though the bill was widely regarded as a net positive for Black people across the United States, John S. Evans — a Black student at Ohio State during the time — saw it as an empty promise.
“It’s just something else on a piece of paper,” Evans said in a 1968 Lantern article, which was obtained via the University Archives. “If we followed the Constitution, we wouldn’t need civil rights bills anyway.”
Lighting the way: How the Streetlight Guild preserves Black art and culture in Columbus
Photo Credit: Faith Schneider | Lantern Photographer
The date was March 3, 2017. It was also day three of art event organizer Scott Woods’ month-long series, titled “Holler: 31 Days of Columbus Black Art.”
The dimly lit back room of Kafe Kerouac pulsed with the sound of guitar solos reverberating from bookcase to bookcase.
As Columbus-based rock band The Turbos neared the end of its set, Woods took it all in — the music, the event series, the joy of getting an opportunity to showcase Black art in his city. It was just after 8 p.m. and the night was nearly over when a tall, sophisticated-looking man with salt-and-pepper- — but mostly salt- — colored hair approached him.
Ohio State student organization advocates for the intersectionality of POC and LGBTQ+ communities
Photo Credit: Courtesy of SHADES
Among the various identities any given individual possesses, there exists a combination of intertwining traits that shape who a person is and will become.
SHADES is a student organization dedicated to fostering a safe space and raising awareness for the intersectionality between people of color and LGBTQ+ student communities on campus.
Though the university has several spaces for the POC and LGBTQ+ communities individually, Akasha Lancaster, a third-year in psychology and co-president of SHADES, said having an organization that highlights the crossover between both identities has been distinctly beneficial.
53-year-old African American and African Studies Community Extension Center continues to serve its community following recent renovations
Photo Credit: William Moody | Lantern Photographer
The Ohio State African American and African Studies Community Extension Center has been a long-standing pillar of support for Columbus’ Black community since its founding in 1972.
The center aims to “provide academic and community education opportunities for its Near Eastside neighbors and the greater Central Ohio community,” according to its website. Just last year, the center — located at 905 Mt. Vernon Ave. — reopened to include a new library, meeting hall, classrooms and updated technology in order to better serve its community.
The renovations were made possible by a $1 million state appropriation from Ohio State Sen. Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus), according to the College of Arts and Sciences’ website.
Student organizations react to university’s recent DEI programming cuts
and Reilly Ackermann | Lantern Asst. Campus Editor
Graphic Credit: Faith Schneider | Lantern Photographer
As diversity, equity and inclusion programs face further attack by the federal and state governments, Ohio State has taken the first steps toward removing its own DEI initiatives across campus.
Feb. 27, university President Ted Carter Jr. announced Ohio State would shut down the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Center for Belonging and Social Change the following day, along with removing 16 related staff positions, per prior Lantern reporting.
Students, faculty and staff have openly shared their outrage by protesting in the days following the decision, mourning what has been lost and calling upon the university to protect its DEI programming from further cutbacks.
New Muslim Mental Health Coalition discusses on-campus journey and inclusivity initiatives
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Samira Ali
In November 2024, Hadja Bah, a third-year in nursing, decided it was time to use her 10 free therapy sessions through Ohio State’s Counseling and Consultation Services.
Four sessions in, the absence of Black Muslim therapists left her feeling misunderstood, which quickly inspired her to create a space for change.
Officially launching in February, the Black-founded Muslim Mental Health Coalition aims to support students of all backgrounds in their mental health challenges, all while specifically emphasizing aspects of Islamic wellness to help mitigate stigma across campus.
Black student-led newspaper Our Choking Times revisited in latest Thompson Library exhibit
and Aria Garcia | Lantern Reporter
Photo Credit: Sandra Fu | Lantern Photo Editor
In 1970, Black students at Ohio State founded Our Choking Times, a publication designed to critique the university’s lack of diversity and provide a platform for marginalized voices.
More than 50 years later, a new exhibit at Thompson Library explores the student-run newspaper’s impact, showcasing its contributions to activism, cultural expression and community-building.
Housed in the Ohio State University Archives, Our Choking Times covered racial inequities on campus, from the university’s lack of Black faculty to broader social injustices, according to the Library’s archive website.
Ohio State students share their experiences navigating identity through Black hair
Graphic Credit: Sandra Fu | Lantern Photo Editor
Within the Black community, hair is more than just a style — it’s a form of self-expression and cultural connection. Yet, these trends are often overlooked in mainstream media due to a lack of cultural understanding.
From gravity-defying afros to braids that sway, Black students reflect the wide-ranging diversity and creativity of their community’s hairstyles on campus. But many still feel overlooked or judged from the world at large. Now, Ohio State students are weighing in on how Black hair shapes personal identity while representing a grander collective beneath the bundles.
Historically, during the Civil Rights Movement, afros became a symbol of Black pride and resistance against Eurocentric beauty standards. Today, however, Black hairstyles are often judged based on people’s perceptions of professionalism, leading to discrimination in schools and workplaces, according to the Brookings Institution.