Black Student Union Office

The Black Student Union was founded in 1969 after several congressmen advised Towson State College to create a more inviting environment for African Americans. Very soon after it was formed several BSU students ‘stormed’ the administrative office and forced the President at the time, James Fisher, sign a document that listed all of their terms which included office space, a school funded budget, and a more public presence. The office space they were provided with was, at that time, in the newly finished University Union Building. The current location of the BSU office is in the Center of Student Diversity. The Black Student Union has raised awareness for diversity within the university. It helped create an African-American Studies program.

Soon after they acquired the space in the University Union, The Black Student Union began to garner a large amount of attention as well as a growing membership. Around this time, they began to clash repeatedly with the already established Towson Student Government. They fought over their placement, the office space and most importantly their funding. President James Fisher has agreed to fund the BSU, however, the Student Government still controlled their funding and the Bus accused SGA of mismanaging the money. Eventually BSU was given control of its own funds and began to answer directly to the administration. The University also increased the amount of funding that BSU had since after investigation it was proven that they had a significantly smaller funding pool than other student groups.

The Black Student Union's membership has been in flux in recent years because of the increasing enrollment of African American students as well as the political climate on campus. The goal of the BSU was and is still the same, to provide institutional services and support the Black community of Towson. The BSU office is across from the Student Government Office, the only student group at Towson that is afforded that privilege.