To commemorate the creation of Drew University’s very own chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People on Tuesday, Rev. Dr. Jamin Powell called upon students to take action and have the hard discussions his generation was too late to have.
Powell is a Senior Pastor at Community Baptist Church. He earned his Master’s of Divinity at the Interdenominational Theological Center and his Ph.D. in pastoral studies/counseling from Duke University. He is also a United States Marine.
For Powell, college is the time students should be active, pushing back on established histories and striking up difficult conversations to make change.
“The responsibility is yours, to have those conversations,” said Powell. “You know why? Your historic hurt is not as deep. And therefore, your ability to connect with humanity is that [much] more poignant. Be better than us. Be stronger than us. Be more resilient than us. Be more adamant than us. Your voices, your voices are the ones that will create the world for the generations to come.”
He reminded students that they are the generation that has the ability to make the changes that other generations could not, especially since this is a time of emotional and intellectual blossoming. This message was meant for all. “African American history is American history,” said Powell, including everyone in the fight against racism.
Powell’s message clearly resonated with students; their questions pushed the event into overtime.
Muthoni Githinji (‘25) asked Powell for words of wisdom regarding the college journeys of people of color, specifically about how to know themselves and discover their identity so they can change the world.
His response was to “have as many experiences as possible” in this environment, emphasizing engagement with all of the opportunities, seminars and different perspectives higher education provides. The multifaceted experience that is at a college student’s fingertips gives this generation the opportunity to exchange ideas with professors and fellow students.
Kelly Nigro (‘27) expressed her desire to take action and asked how to take the first step. Powell offered a simple, succinct answer: listen. For Powell, listening to the experiences of African American community members and asking what support they need is a great place to start.
Powell also encouraged students to take advantage of one of the most valuable resources available to them: their professors. He highlighted that professors are a wealth of knowledge, beyond their experience in the classroom. According to Powell, learning about the path that professors took to get to where they are and asking them questions about how to make change is the first step to getting involved.
Amira Mutakabbir (‘25) spearheaded the creation of Drew’s chapter of the NAACP. Mutakabbir reached out to Vanessa Brown, President of the Morris County NAACP chapter and the third vice president for the New Jersey State NAACP, with the desire to bring the NAACP to Drew to provide resources to students of color. This event has been in the works since December 2023.
Drew’s chapter of the NAACP provides a new opportunity for students to make change in their communities, and Mutakkabir hopes it lasts beyond her time at Drew.
“The biggest thing about these types of projects is that we want longevity and we want people to continue to do this. So once we have this established organization, I definitely want incoming freshmen, juniors, seniors, everyone who wants to be a part of this program to be a part of it because this is going to be beyond just doing events at Drew,” said Mutakabbir.
For those interested in joining Drew’s chapter of the NAACP, please reach out to Amira Mutakkabir by emailing amutakkabir@drew.edu or scan the QR code below.
Nicole Sydor is a senior double-majoring in English and French with a double-minor in psychology and education.
Featured image is courtesy of Nicole Sydor.
