Black Boy Joy Spotlight: Jayah Gist

I'm Jayah Gist, a sophomore here at cofc. I'm from Spartanburg SC (864 wassup), but I've always been meant for more than that. Expression is something very important to me and I've always made sure to be clear about that. Music, volunteering, visual aesthetics, track, cooking, and writing were and will always be outlets in which I express my truth and the reality that I choose to live in. Since I have been in college I have had the opportunity to expand upon myself and my education which has introduced me to some new things and routed me back to familiar experiences. Being in Student Ambassadors, Black Student Union, Collegiate Curls, Bonner Leader Program, and African American Studies has facilitated my growth as an individual. Whether it be having an alliance for expression through my natural hair in Collegiate Curls, providing family and connections for students of color (like myself) in BSU or Student Ambassadors, or empowering me and other black students via self-identity in African American Studies;I have only gained.

Being a man of color on this campus means that you will constantly be tested, you will constantly be the trend, and you will constantly be the problem. But as a Black Man on CofC's campus you must be confident in your blackness, respect your blackness, and have enough soul in your being to not only stand up for yourself but ESPECIALLY our black women on campus. I'll say it again for those who didn't hear me RESPECT AND UPLIFT BLACK WOMEN, for they are the closest thing we have to God. Much love and respect.

~Jayah