A Change Is Gonna Come

When Serena Sevasin ’22, Mimi Duncan ’22, and Jaylen Antoine ’22 stepped up into the bed of a pickup truck in the parking lot next to Memorial Fieldhouse and prepared to address the crowd of thousands of people, they knew they were experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Despite having never planned a protest before, these rising juniors and members of the Black Student Union (BSU) struck a chord with the community, organizing the largest Black Lives Matter protest in Tacoma during the summer of 2020.

In their own words, they reflect on the impact of the protest, what it means to give voice to the concerns of Black students on campus, and where they hope the movement goes from here.

Mimi Duncan ’22

A lifelong resident of Tacoma, Duncan is co-president of Puget Sound’s Black Student Union and is pursuing a major in history with a minor in politics and government.

“I feel like it happened so quickly. There was a moment when we occupied the intersection at Sixth and Division and I looked back and couldn’t see the end of the line. To see that many people come out to support Black lives and affirm the statement that Black lives matter was unexpected. It was such a moment of solidarity, community, empathy, and unity. At Wright Park, one of my good friends sang ‘A Change is Gonna Come’ by Sam Cooke. To feel those lyrics in that moment was healing. There’s still generations of work to do that we have to commit to doing if we want to see tangible change.”

Jaylen Antoine ’22

Tacoma native Antoine is majoring in economics with a minor in African American studies. He’s also a student-athlete, playing on the Puget Sound football team.

“Once I saw the big crowd of people, I thought to myself, ‘I’m in over my head,’ but it was amazing to see that many people show up. We were protesting for change, but we can't realize that change unless more people get involved. The protest was just the start; it can’t be the end. We as a Black Student Union have to start with our campus community. I’d like to see more opportunities for Black students and Black faculty members to join us on campus. We want people to donate, we want people to sign petitions, and, ultimately, we want people to support this movement.”

Serena Sevasin ’22

Sevasin was born and raised in Tacoma. In addition to being an active member of BSU, she is seeking a degree in African American studies with a minor in education studies.

“We thought it was going to be a small protest, but it ended up being so much bigger than we could have imagined. I’m still processing it. I know it’s a big thing: three 20-year-olds holding one of the biggest protests in Tacoma, but the truth is we couldn’t have done it alone or without the faculty in the African American studies program and the Race & Pedagogy Institute. We wanted to make clear—as Black students at Puget Sound—that we need to be recognized and something needs to change. We have the influence and the ability to make something this monumental happen. It’s not just for myself, but for the future of BSU and for future Black students at UPS to know that they’re valued and they’re going to have support, because we’re going to create that for them.”