By Imani Racine
Black women in the Atlanta University Center looking for a safe space no longer have to search far. With a new campus chartered organization, female-identifying students will have a space to be uplifted and engage in holistic healing.
Bloom at CAU, which launched on the campus of Clark Atlanta University in the fall, is open to any female-identifying student in the Atlanta University Center. Originated to operate as a safe haven for Black women, Bloom at CAU’s creators emphasize the importance of Black women in the AUC feeling a sense of community, especially during the current social climate.
“With this power that [Black women] exude, there is an excessive amount of weight and responsibility constantly thrown at us because ‘we can handle it,’” Bloom at CAU's president Imani Maliti said. “There seems to be a lot of room for Black women to fill, but not enough space for Black women to heal.”
Bloom at CAU was inspired by an organization of the same name started by a group of women at Emory University. Some of the signature programs included Motivation Mondays and Womanism Wednesdays.
This work inspired Maliti to create a similar community on this campus. To her, it is essential for Black women in the AUC to have a support system that is similar to the support Black women during her matriculation have given her.
“I realized that I no longer wanted to wait for someone to create an organization like Bloom at CAU, I wanted to be the one to do it now,” Maliti said.
Due to the fact that the AUC is strictly remote this semester, Bloom at CAU will be operating differently, but women of the AUC will still be able to engage socially. Using platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Zoom, Bloom at CAU is dedicated to hosting programs for students who are interested in the organization.
It is strongly encouraged that anyone who is interested in Bloom at CAU provided suggestions on what they want and need out of the program.
“As we like to say ‘this community is your birthright,’” Maliti said. “Feel free to use it. Feel comfortable to engage in it. Feel safe to be real in it.”
Anyone who wants to know more about Bloom at CAU will be able to meet the members and get more information during the CCO Virtual Fair on Sept. 30 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Comments