The University of Massachusetts Black Student Union was founded on April 24, 1992. A longtime goal of Black students at the University, the Black Student Union was created to serve as an umbrella organization which would consolidate over 20 other Black organizations on campus, including fraternities, sororities, and registered student organizations.
The establishment of the Black Student Union was completed with the commencement of its April 24 constitutional convention, held at the Malcolm X Cultural Center. "The Black Student Union is the Black students' government here at the university," says Martin Jones, a founding member of the organization. "It provides a foundation for academic success, social organization, and political action among Black students at UMass." The overall goal of the Black Student Union, according to Jones, is "to identify, define, and execute the collective agenda of Black students to work toward building a positive college experience for the community."
The Black Student Union's mission can be best stated in its slogan: "United we stand. Divided we fall. Together we can all stand tall."
— Courtesy of the Black Student Union, 1994