More than 20 members of Cal Poly’s Black Student Union gathered shoulder-to-shoulder to watch the men’s basketball team defeat UC Irvine on Feb. 12. While they cheered for every Mustang on the court, their section grew even louder when one of the team’s Black student-athletes found the basket.
“We’re trying to definitely show that we are small in number, but we are going to be here for our black athletes that are playing in the games,” BSU President Jaylyn Harris said.
Out of more than 22,000 undergraduate students enrolled at Cal Poly, only 182 identify as Black, according to 2025 university data. Despite those numbers, BSU Adviser and Black Academic Excellence Center Coordinator Kyle Lampley said visibility during Black History Month matters.
“Even though it may be a small community of I would say my people here, of the Black community here, we want to make sure, wherever we are at, that Black History Month is always getting celebrated and remembered,” Lampley said.
For the organization, attending games is about more than cheering from the stands. It serves as an opportunity to connect with Black athletes who may not yet be involved with the group.
“[We want] all Black athletes to come out,” Lampley said. “No matter what sports you play, we want them to come to the BSU meetings and to our events.”
The sense of recognition during Black History Month is supported by Cal Poly Athletics as well. The men’s basketball team incorporated the Pan-African flag into its warm-up shirts, with players and staff wearing the design before tipoff against UC Irvine.
“It’s really good to see that they’re supporting, even in their sports without the Black Student Union’s help, that Black History Month is something to be celebrated,” Harris said.
While February brings heightened visibility, BSU members’ support continues throughout the year. They attend football and soccer games in the fall, baseball in the spring and hope to add a track and field meet to their schedule this year.
“It is very hard to find that community when you seem like you’re on the island by yourself.” Harris said. “But we are here.”
Inside Mott Athletics Center that night, their presence sent a message: Black students are not alone.
“There are so many avenues for you to find your people and find the people that you want to spend time with and you want to grow and learn with,” Harris said. “And we do have that here for you.