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Jada Marie Knight wears a bracelet that spells out “HBCUSE 2025 Knight” — meaning Historically Black Syracuse — in shimmering orange and white beads. A heart replaces the “0” in “2025.” The phrase connects her to the legacy of Black students and alumni at Syracuse University.

“By embracing that, I become a part of that history,” Knight said. “So I rep it with pride and a lot of heart – it’s not just a phrase.”

At last weekend’s Coming Back Together 2024 alumni reunion, Knight continued this legacy, serving as a student co-chair for the event. The reunion, a triennial celebration of alumni of color that provides a space for them to connect with current students, marked the fourteenth CBT since its inception in 1983, and Knight’s second time attending.

When she first attended CBT amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Knight was uncertain of her place at SU. Originally from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, the move to Syracuse was a big change for Knight, who had a network back home she relied on.

Now a senior television, radio and film major, Knight said the confidence she exudes is something that was built, in part, by the Our Time Has Come Scholarship Program. In addition to OTHC, Knight is also a Posse Scholar.

CBT was much different for her this year, Knight said. It’s been a “full-circle moment” for her, as she’s taken on a leadership role alongside other members who have contributed to her experience at SU. Knight said that to her, community means everything, so she’s been guided by the desire to uplift those who have helped her find that sense of community.

“Being able to shout (my people) out whenever I can, I live for that,” she said.

As a part of organizations like OTHC and SU’s Office of Multicultural Advancement, where she’s surrounded by like-minded people with similar identities, Knight has grown a stronger sense of self and some of her closest friendships.

Sofia Rodriguez, Knight’s CBT student co-chair and fellow Posse scholar, said that when the two met through the scholarship program, they quickly became friends.

“We found a constant solace in knowing each other,” Rodriguez said.

Though CBT wasn’t the first event that Rodriguez and Knight have worked on together, it was their most significant undertaking yet. Knowing Knight was by their side made it easier to take on a project of such magnitude, Rodriguez said.

“Having that support system in her to navigate and connect with people made (the weekend) so much more meaningful,” Rodriguez said.

Knight’s empathetic leadership is part of what makes her have that effect on people, Rodriguez said.

Rachel Vassel, associate vice president of SUMA and one of Knight’s mentors, said Knight’s thoughtful and positive demeanor also guides her leadership capabilities. Having seen many students move through SU while leading SUMA, Vassel has cherished the opportunity to watch Knight thrive.

More than that, Vassel is grateful for the impact the program had on her. During a panel celebrating the success of OTHC scholars, Knight said she couldn’t name another school with a similar program. She credited the merits of the program to the alumni whose donations and support make it possible.

In light of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, the Supreme Court case that ended affirmative action, students of color at institutions around the country have feared for what that means for the spaces they value, Knight said. Knight highlighted the University of Florida’s announcement that it had closed the office of its chief diversity officer in March as an example.

“My experience (at SU) wouldn’t have been the same without SUMA, so the idea of that no longer being here,” Knight said, pausing to suck in her breath. “That doesn’t sound like a lot of fun.”

In addition to providing Knight with a sense of community, SUMA has given her professional opportunities. This summer, Knight interned at the American Black Film Festival after Vassel connected her with the organization, an opportunity that solidified her passion for production and showrunning.

While her aspirations guide Knight throughout her college career, she said she is also inspired by the desire to give back to her community.

Knight said she never loses touch of what got her to the place she is today. She has big dreams of helping her family buy a home in Jamaica and hopes to “drop a bag” on OTHC to help incoming students have the experiences she had.

“If my family knows I’ve got their back, then I know I’m successful,” Knight said.

Published on September 19, 2024 at 1:48 am