Tuesday, August 23, Unified In Color kicked off the year with an event at both lunches. They were able to get students excited by setting up games of musical chairs and corn hole, and all those who participated were given Otter Pops, which ended up being more like otter juice. The goal of this event was just to get the name of the club out there and hopefully catch the attention of students who want to join it.

Unified In Color’s purpose is about making people feel comfortable in their skin. First of all, the astonishingly dedicated sponsor is Ms. Good. She is an English teacher at Sahuaro who also teaches African American Literature. The presidents are Louraine Bouraima and Jaydah Griffith, the vice president is Micah Burt, the secretary is Marlisa Gallardo, and I, Cymona Abellard am the treasurer. When speaking to the presidents, I asked them why being the leader of the club was so important to them and they both told me the same thing, they said that they saw an opportunity to create a safe space to express minority culture.

What made Ms. Good want to be the sponsor? When asked this question, she responded, “I am really passionate about social justice and unfairness. This club is super important because it brings kids together and gets them to build empathy.”

How was the name Unified In Color created and when was it started? In 2017, a group of students came together and formed an African American Student Union club. They ended up not liking the name and they believed that it didn’t fit their full agenda for what the club should be about, so they changed it to Unified In Color. Even though it was started in 2017, it was more of a behind-the-scenes thing, but after Black History Month last year, Louraine and Jaydah decided to make it big this year.

What are the goals for the club by the end of the year? I specifically asked Louraine this question and she said “to raise more pride in all the students, about expressing the side of them that they may wish to hide. Also that we get more kids interested in the club because this club helped me express my afro side.”

If you are interested in joining the club, here are some questions you may have:

Is Unified In Color looking for more members? Yes, every single student is welcomed and encouraged; the presidents only ask that you are dedicated to the club and ready to enjoy celebrating different cultures.

When does the club meet and where? They meet every Monday and Thursday, in the meeting room by the principal’s office, during first lunch.