By Amelia Leone '24
“To hear our voices is what I want people to learn. Just hear our voices.”
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The world has faced countless roadblocks in the past year. While many people have taken the “easy route” by resenting the world, these NEST+m students have risen up to turn society’s defeats into an opportunity to talk through their thoughts and educate others.
When brainstorming ideas for the Black Student Union’s assembly back in December, only one word, podcast, typed into the chat was needed to spark a new outlet in the NEST+m community. Within minutes, the Black Underground Podcast was born.
The Black Underground is an entirely student-run podcast discussing current events through the eyes of NEST+m students. “We talk about different topics conversing the black community like white allyship, racism, race, or just like mental health issues in the black community” shares Lycianne Pitts ‘23. They plan on releasing episodes discussing the recent increase in Asian hate crimes and biracial culture.
Black Underground has already accumulated nearly three hundred views on their YouTube channel (The Black Underground Podcast). As they release new videos and their impact expands, the podcasters hope they can expose their listeners to both national and local issues through sharing new knowledge and personal experiences. “One thing I want people to take away from our podcast is that truths aren’t black and white,” said Israel Selassie ‘21. “It’s more complex, there are more layers. Things overlap each other, which add to the topics that we discuss.” When asked about the podcast’s impact in regards to the NEST+m community, Liliana Sofia ‘23 hopes that listeners will feel comfortable in speaking out about tough topics. She hopes they will lean into discomfort and learn to hold themselves and their peers accountable.
In doing preparation for the podcast, the members have learned more about the topic and themselves. Madison Roberts ‘21 mentioned that she only joined BSU this year. Madison explained that she didn’t feel like she had a voice when talking about Black issues because she is mixed-race. Her involvement in the podcast, however, has changed her mindset as she hopes it will for others. She believes this podcast has made her “realize that what [she goes] through is also valid.” She added,“Even though I’m not a full black person, I still have a voice, and I’m still a part of the community. So I think it brought me closer to my black roots and also be more comfortable in speaking out about whatever aggressions I’m facing in being a minority.”
During these times, it is especially essential to reach out to loved ones. Given that, Liliana adds that she wants viewers, especially those of color, to understand that they are not alone and after listening to the podcast, be able to say, “I do relate to these things. I’m not the only person going through this.”
Support the Black Underground Podcast by following their social media accounts and watching their episodes on YouTube.
Instagram: theblackundergroundpodcast
YouTube: The Black Underground Podcast
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