Around 50 organizations gathered at the Texas Union Theatre on Nov. 16 for the Black President’s Leadership Council’s second Black Inauguration, an official induction for the presidents of UT’s Black student organizations.

The event, which graduate student Zion James started last year, recognizes Black presidents on campus who help serve the Black community at the University. James said he took the idea from a junior “crossover” event he had in high school, where juniors wore white to transition into seniors, representing a step into leadership. The inductees wore white to accept their presidential positions, receiving a gavel to symbolize their leadership.

“These (Black leaders) are the people that we need to depend on, lean on, and push our goals and passions upon them. They’re handling a lot of responsibility,” James said. “Let’s just connect with them and make sure that we’re guiding them to be better leaders and showing up.” 

James said that student leaders are making the difference on campus that staff can no longer make following Senate Bill 17, a bill banning operations of diversity, equity and inclusion offices that goes into effect Jan. 1. 

“You are the president’s class that will have to navigate and lead amid the new realities of SB 17,” said Tiffany Lewis, the assistant vice president of academic equity. 

Lewis said some of the ways students do business will require change. Fundraising might be different, for example, and she warned that things may feel unsupportive as students adjust to a campus without DEI. 

Weyatta Kpinkpin, President of Voices of Afrika said the inauguration helps bring attention to Black organizations, and highlights smaller organizations like Voices of Afrika in getting their names across campus.

“I think (Black Inauguration is) important because presidents with whatever org they may be in they put in a lot of time and work into (their) organization,” Kpinkpin said. “Because oftentimes many of our Black organizations on campus we don’t tend to get as much recognition for all the things we do.”