Bemidji State University junior Ashley Kinnard of Milwaukee, Wisconsin has been involved in track and field for nine years. Knowing she wanted to run track at the university level, Kinnard joined the Beavers in 2017 and has since successfully balanced her career as a college athlete while taking strides to obtain her law degree.
Learning about Bemidji State from her high school coach, who once also coached Head Coach Kevin Kean, Kinnard has dedicated the majority of her free-time to practice, meets and supporting her peers.
“I am really involved in supporting the other athletes. Here at BSU, we have a really good bond between the teams and we try to support each other when we can,” she said. “We try to go to hockey games if we don’t have a meet and during the fall we all go to the football or soccer games. Basketball is starting so I try to go to those home games too.”
When not on the track, Kinnard is a part of Bemidji State’s Black Student Union and spends time connecting with fellow members.
“It offers a support system,” she said. “You might have a problem that you are going through and you feel alone but there are people in the Black Student Union who know exactly what you are going through and can help. I think it is a really important system that everyone needs.”
The Black Student Union was founded in 2017 after a number of campus community members came together to discuss several issues that black college students face on predominantly white campuses. The organization encourages and supports student development through diversity. Ultimately, the group strives to promote multicultural awareness throughout the Bemidji State University community.
Leading up to Martin Luther King Jr. day, Kinnard said the Black Student Union was focused on preparing for the national holiday and the month of events scheduled in celebration of Black History Month.
“Sometimes we have little workshop groups where we discuss ourselves and what we go through and sometimes we keep it light and have movie or game nights,” she said. “There are people who attend meetings who aren’t black and anyone is welcome. The main point is to have an open mind, to be empathetic and to understand that everyone looks through a different lens.”
Kinnard is on track to graduate from Bemidji State in the fall of 2021. After graduation, she hopes to further her education and attend law school.
“I’ve thought about working in politics and campaigning to help people get into office, but I also want to practice law,” she said. “I hope to eventually be a defense attorney or work in the defense attorney’s office as one of the prosecutors.”
BSU’s Black Student Union will host a number of events celebrating Black History Month that are open free to the public. Held each year in February, Black History Month celebrates the achievements and legacies of African Americans in the United States, past and present. Campus events will continue on Feb. 13 with a presentation on storytelling and leadership within the black community at 6 p.m. in Bemidji State’s Beaux Arts Ballroom.
Calendar
Thursday, Feb. 13
6 p.m. – Presentation on Storytelling & Leadership within the Black Community
Location: Beaux Arts Ballroom, Hobson Memorial Union, BSU campus. Free and open to the public.
Contact: Dr. Gabriel Warren, assistant professor of business administration, gabriel.warren@bemidjistate.edu
Tuesday, Feb. 18
3 p.m. – Recruitment & Retention Strategies for Black Professors in Predominately White Institutions of Higher Education – Panel Discussion
The Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Bemidji State Black Student Union will hold a community wide discussion on the obstacles institutions face when trying to recruit, hire and retain black faculty members at predominately white institutions of higher education. The conversation will feature Dr. Egypt Grandison, Dr. David Frison and Dr. Gabriel Warren, assistant professors of business administration. Location: Beaux Arts Ballroom, Hobson Memorial Union, BSU campus. Free and open to the public.
Contact: Dr. Gabriel Warren, assistant professor of business administration, gabriel.warren@bemidjistate.edu
Tuesday, Feb. 25
6 p.m. – Everything You Wanted to Know About Being Black But Were Afraid to Ask
Location: Memorial Hall 240, BSU campus. Free and open to the public.
Contact: Dr. Gabriel Warren, assistant professor of business administration, gabriel.warren@bemidjistate.edu
Recurring Events
Tuesday’s and Thursdays (Starting Feb. 17 – 27)
7 a.m. – 11:45 p.m. Black History Month Book Corner
The A.C. Clark Library and CDEI will co-host a Black History Month book corner featuring librarian recommendations of books featuring iconic African American authors and themes every Tuesday and Thursday. A communal reflection board will also be available.Location: Main floor, A.C. Clark Library, BSU campus. Free and open to the public.
Contact: Dr. Ye “Solar” Hong, CDEI coordinator, ye.hong@bemidjistate.edu
Contact
- Dr. Gabriel Warren, assistant professor of business administration; gabriel.warren@bemidjistate.edu
- Dr. Ye “Solar” Hong, coordinator, BSU/NTC Center for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; ye.hong@bemidjistate.edu
Links
Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,000 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university’s Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding. For more, visit bemidjistate.edu or find us at BemidjiState on most of your favorite social media networks.
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