After gathering at the building Friday, BSA marched to the Multicultural Center chanting, ‘No justice, no peace.'

BSA Internal President Angel Noaks said it was important that the group start at the administration building and end at the newly built Multicultural Center because "this is proof that our voices matter" and have an impact. 

Inside the center, the BSA hosted a town hall — phase three of "Operation Blackout" — where executive board members laid out their demands for a safer, more accountable campus.

The event, they said in an email to The State News, was organized in response to continued harm, institutional neglect and racial hostility that Black students have experienced and documented over the past two years. 

"We’re supposed to be protected, and we’re supposed to feel comfortable," human biology sophomore Jayani Collins said during the event. "We’re here to learn — that’s it."

One of the group’s primary proposals is the creation of a "No Hate Ordinance," said Anthony Masseui, public relations chair and junior advertising major. 

The ordinance would "strengthen the university's response to hate crimes," according to the organization's email. It would be developed by a task force — including BSA members, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) professionals, university administrators and legal experts — before being opened for student feedback through additional town halls.

After revisions, a formal proposal would be submitted to the Board of Trustees for approval and implementation within campus policies. Upon approval, BSA members said they would like to host campus-wide workshops and information sessions to educate students, faculty and staff about the ordinance.

Beyond the ordinance, BSA leaders outlined several additional steps they believe are necessary to create a safer and more inclusive campus environment. Among their proposals is a requirement for all incoming students, faculty, and staff to undergo more comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and anti-racism training that would be reinforced by biannual courses.  

They also called for faculty to be required to include DEI statements in their syllabi and for the university to hold professors accountable for addressing racial incidents that occur in their classrooms. Faculty adherence to these standards, they said, should be reviewed annually as part of performance evaluations.

To further support marginalized students, BSA leaders advocated for an increase in Council of Racial and Ethnic Students (CORES) funding and additional support for Black caucuses on campus. They also proposed expanding living learning communities that focus on marginalized identities, which they said would offer students a stronger sense of community and belonging from the moment they arrive at MSU.

The demands reflect ongoing concerns that campus efforts toward inclusion remain inconsistent and incomplete, despite decades of student activism. 

During an open mic session, MSU professor Lee June addressed the crowd, emphasizing that some battles for equity happen quietly, without public visibility.

"There’s a war going on between the university and the Trump administration," June said. "When you make plans, you also have sides, and often people in a war don’t say all things publicly that they’re doing privately."

June encouraged administrators to read "The Black Campus Movement" to better understand the broader history of Black student activism nationwide.

After the event, he added that universities should think more creatively about their legal and ethical responsibilities to students of color.

"When presentations are made on hate that students of color face, it’s often said that the law does not permit us to do X, Y or Z," June said. "That might be true, I don’t know the answer, but I think they need to think about: What are some things an institution can do, beyond just making a statement? There are possibly awesome things, and that’s what I would like to see university lawyers grapple with."

Friday’s town hall, organizers said, is part of a broader movement to create lasting change on campus — building not only on the work of past generations, but toward a future where they say Black students can thrive without fear.