Written by: Tenci Reid
The Coalition of Black Social Workers (CBSW) is a new student organization on campus created to facilitate a community for black social work majors. The club aims to connect members with professors and black social workers working in the field and give them a safe space for collaboration, according to Alayna Crawford, senior social work major and president of CBSW.
The officers and sponsors of the organization attended a CBSW conference in March and were inspired to establish a similar community on campus. Crawford said she learned at the conference that CBSW helps facilitate a community where people can relate to each other.
CBSW is an inclusive club that welcomes individuals beyond those of African American descent, according to Candy Dolcy, assistant professor in the School of Social Work and CBSW sponsor.
“We have a category, or friends of CBSW, which allows those who don’t identify with those from the African American diaspora to be a part of the conversation,” Dolcy said.
Dolcy emphasized the importance of understanding and celebrating the unique experiences of those from the African American community. She said even those not identifying with the culture can demonstrate support by acknowledging the challenges the community faces and engaging in the conversation.
“It is [important] to understand that those who are from that diaspora have a different experience compared to those who aren’t,” Dolcy said.
The club strives to build a close-knit community among its members, facilitating networking opportunities with School of Social Work faculty. According to Kilah Runnels, senior social work major and CBSW treasurer, the club aims to raise awareness about its presence on campus and dispel fallacies surrounding the role of social workers.
“There’s a lot of misconception about what social work is,” said Runnels.
She wants others to understand that social work encompasses more than the foster care system or exclusive work with children. Runnels emphasized that there are various opportunities available in the field beyond child-focused roles.
“With social work, you can work with substance abuse (my personal passion), hospice/end of life care (my current internship), mental health, medical social work, forensic social work [and] criminal justice,” Runnels wrote in a message to the Accent.
She hopes that debunking this misconception will attract more individuals to pursue a career in the field.