A university as large as LSU can be intimidating for freshmen, especially freshmen of minority populations.
To support students of color and provide a community in a sea of nearly 38,000 students, an Instagram account, Black LSU 26, was created to bring under-represented communities together.
A predominantly white institution, LSU’s population is made up of 73% white students, while the rest of the population, consisting of Black, Hispanic and Asian students make up 12, six and four percent, respectively, of the student body, the university reported.
According to the creator of the account, biological sciences senior Zahria Griggs said that Black LSU 26 serves as a community tool that can be essential to the success of an LSU student, especially those coming from minority groups.
“By now, I’m sure that everyone knows that college is not for the weak, especially when you’re an underrepresented minority,” Griggs said. “I think I provide students with a community before they even step foot on LSU’s campus as a student, and that goes a long way.”
Students wanting to request a feature are required to write a short biography about themselves. It’s encouraged to reveal your classification and major because people find that you can meet more people that way. Students are allowed up to 10 photos for an official submission, Griggs said.
Griggs’ inspiration came from a similar LSU account she saw when she was 16 years old. She expressed that finding people who looked like her felt like looking for a needle in a haystack. It wasn’t until her mother said that she could do it too that she finally made the account.
Griggs said that her initial goal for the account was to make friends and meet new people because of her distance away from her home in Dallas, Texas. It wasn’t until the account was up and running when Griggs said she realized that this was bigger than making a few friends.
According to Griggs, Black LSU 26 is an application that brings together a large community of talented minorities and its influence on people hasn’t gone unnoticed.
LSU’s African American Cultural Center started to reach out, along with Black-owned businesses in the local Baton Rouge area. Griggs explained that this was a huge accomplishment and she finally felt like she made it.
Griggs said that she has always been pretty reserved, so once her anonymous identity as the accounts creator broke, people started referencing her as “Black LSU.” Noticing that her actions had positive influences on people was what told Griggs that she has finally achieved her goal.
“I’ve provided a space for Black students to find roommates and friends, learn about different organizations and find their space on campus,” Griggs said. “The best feeling is when students let me know that they appreciate the work that I do through my page.”
Mass communication and pre-law freshman Dorene Hantzis is a student who used the Black LSU 26 account to find friends in a community that made her feel comfortable and happy. One of the most important factors of being in college is finding a friend group that you can share your experiences with, Hantzis said.
“Black LSU allowed me to find friends before I stepped on campus and has helped me make them while being here,” she said.
Hantzis said that at first, she had trouble finding people that she could connect with. She also said that her conversations with other people from the account frequently ended up “fizzing out.”
Although, after giving it some time, she said the account was starting to work as intended, connecting her with people at a faster pace.
Hantzis said that she eventually played a part in the affiliated Black LSU 26 group chat, explaining that the chat allowed students to communicate about things like campus activities, classes and parties. During Welcome Week, Hantzis contributed to the Instagram account by posting about the movie night hosted at LSU’s recreation center.
“As members of marginalized communities, it is important that we have our own safe spaces from the larger student body,” Hantzis said. “One where we can talk freely about our feelings and experiences without feeling ignored or unimportant.”
Computer science freshman Nicholas Edwards said that he found out about Black LSU 26 through a friend. He said that the account benefits communities of color and he was able to make friends because of it.
“I have been able to make connections with a few athletes and non-athletes on the page while using this account,” said Edwards, who is also attending LSU for track and field.
Edwards said that if a student, especially one from a minority community, were to not use the Instagram account, then they would be missing out on a great opportunity.
“I would highly recommend that students use this account because it is something that can be a great advancement for someone’s success at LSU,” Edwards said.
Since LSU is such a large institution, minorities usually tend to feel easily overlooked, Hantzis said. She also said she would recommend Black LSU 26 to incoming students because it allows people to find their community.
“If you need to talk, someone will talk to you, and it is a valuable resource to a community,” Hantzis said.