Black Culture Club: Paving the path of Black representation

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Kylie Bridgeman

“BCC is my safe space and I feel like I am able to be my true self there,” Tamia Palmer said.

Black Culture Club (BCC) is an impactful WHHS club which holds many events and projects, such as a talent showcase, culture fest, and a job panel. However, running the club is a difficult task, shared by three co-presidents of the club, SENIORS Madisyn Ellis, Ximen Morgan and Tamia Palmer.

BCC means a lot to many of its members, and this feeling isn’t lost on the club’s leaders. Ellis has been a member of BCC since her 8th grade year, and the club has had a crucial effect on her Black experience, “I feel as though it’s important [to get a better understanding of Black culture] because a lot of people, me included, grew up without that part of our culture being expressed,” Ellis said.

 Palmer has been a member of BCC since 7th grade and initially joined to find her place at WHHS,  now, she helps Black students like her find their spot. With her help, members can connect in BCC and feel like a family in a school that is 60 percent white.  “I’ve known a lot of these people and have friends outside of Walnut now that have graduated from Black Culture Club that I still keep in touch with,” Palmer said. 

The co-presidents have been working to create representation for our Black students at WHHS.”We are doing a job panel where we show Black people in different professions to give people an idea of what they want to do with their profession,” Ellis said. 

Palmer and Ellis have been highlighting Black history over the announcements by acknowledging famous Black WHHS alumni. 

“Black history is still in the making, we as regular normal people in society can be creating our own black history,” Palmer said.