March provides a month for women to receive acknowledgment, and WSU’s Black Women’s Caucus hopes to achieve a wider reach across campus as they raise awareness for black women’s role in history.

Whitney Nelson, the president of the Black Women’s Caucus, said this organization has helped her feel more like she belongs on this campus.

“Black women are so underrepresented on campus,” Nelson said. “It’s so important to find people to connect with and relate to. The Black Women’s Caucus is one of the only groups that offers a safe space to meet people like you.”

While the Black Women’s Caucus is specifically organized to be a safe place for black women, it is a deliberately open group. Anyone can attend to share their experiences and learn more about black culture and how to be an ally, Nelson said.

“A lot of people have one image of blackness in their head when they think of a black woman,” Nelson said. “The Black Women’s Caucus has so many different images of what it means to be black, which lets anyone feel like they belong.”

Asha Johnson, a senator for the Black Women’s Caucus, said she gained a prouder and firmer sense of identity as a black woman.

“My self-confidence has increased a lot,” Johnson said. “Being the only one who looks like you in a lot of classes can be really intimidating and can make you feel like you don’t belong. Being in a place with so many people who look like me solidified my confidence.”

Johnson said Women’s History Month is important to the Black Women’s Caucus because their history can be applied to everyone and isn’t just about black women.

“Growing up, [children] don’t learn about women in history,” Nelson said. “Most of the powerful people who children learn about are men. This month reminds women that we’re powerful and we’ve done so much more than we know.”

The Black Women’s Caucus helps promote discussion and confidence in women. The organization meets at 6 p.m. Wednesdays in CUE, Room 319.

“Black women are not focused on at this university,” Johnson said. “We’re constantly looked over and not recognized. The Black Women’s Caucus is a way to feel like we belong in a university that wasn’t built for us.”