Nia Johnson is a junior majoring in human development.
1. Tell us a bit about yourself — any clubs, hobbies or career plans for the future?
“During my time here at Binghamton [University], I have been involved in various organizations since my freshman year. As of right now I serve [on] the mentoring committee for the Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program, which is a [Student Association (SA)]-chartered organization on campus that deals with mentoring at-risk youth from the inner city and the surrounding Binghamton communities. Aside from that, I am the head office director for the current vice president for multicultural affairs [(VPMA)], Mary Hu, and I am also a proud general body member of the Black Student Union and the Powerful United Ladies Striving to Elevate. My overall plan for the future is to work in educational policy, since it is the policy that disproportionately affects Black and Latinx students and funnels them in the school-to-prison pipeline model.”
2. What is your platform?
“My platform is four key issues I feel like [BU] needs to address. These are normalizing mental health conversations, mandatory sexual assault training which also includes making the campus safer for survivors, forcing conversations around cultural competency and doing a better job at connecting students of color to faculty of color. These are not all of the issues that [BU] needs to address but I do feel as if these issues are key in order to foster a safer, healthier and inclusive environment that [the University] strives to have. If elected president, I will try my hardest to take proactive steps to make sure these issues are addressed and start a larger conversation within the student body.”
3. Why did you decide to run for an SA E-Board position?
“I believe that in order to see change you have to be the change. Since my freshman year, I have noticed that there are so many issues on this campus that go unaddressed and it only frustrates the student body because there is no transparency. So I decided to run because I believe I can bring the change I desperately want to see on this campus. Another part of this is that there has yet to be a Black woman as SA president and I feel as if this is something that needs to be done in order to show my community that we belong on this campus and we have the right and the ability to take up these spaces and these positions of power. As a Black woman heavily involved in SA organizations, I see the work women of color on this campus put into their organizations to make them successful and they have all inspired me. And I want to be able to show them, this is what your inspiration has done. It has allowed a Black woman to have the audacity to run for SA president.”
4. Why should students vote for you?
“After working in the SA for two years, I have sharpened my skills in order to be a better resource for all students on campus. I was also able to help spearhead the first ever Multicultural Festival in the VPMA office for the spring semester, which fostered my growing connection with multicultural organizations on campus. But also, I have grit which allows me to work toward my goals with only success in mind. For me, I cannot settle because I know I cannot graduate from [BU] peacefully knowing I did not work hard enough to enact change.”