Draughon promotes campus unity in BSU

Some students attend Princeton for the prestige, others for the faculty and academics, perhaps others for the Gothic architecture and beautiful campus.

Dwight Draughon '08 came because of a TV show.

"It was a childhood dream to come to Princeton because Carlton from 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' wanted to go there," he said.

If this doesn't seem like the typical response, it is probably because Draughon is not the typical Princeton student.

Instead, Draughon, president of the Black Student Union (BSU), is making sure he serves as a voice for students who don't necessarily conform and want a comfortable group on campus.

Born in the South Bronx, Draughon, 19, said that life at Princeton is drastically different from the environment where he grew up.

"Being at Princeton is a tough situation," he said. "It is a culture shock."

At the urging of former BSU and USG president Leslie-Bernard Joseph '06, Draughon decided his freshman year to join the BSU in order to secure a support system on campus.

While he knew he was not prepared to take a leadership role in BSU immediately, he took an active interest in the executive board from the start and attended many executive meetings.

"I didn't want to run for a position until I knew I was ready," he said.

Eventually, Draughon decided to run for president of the club.

"Knowing the previous three presidents, I thought that I was able to combine the three and learn from all of them and try to continue whatever legacy they wanted to create," he said.

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As president of the BSU, Draughon and his executive board have the difficult task of addressing controversial race issues on campus, including criticisms of black self-segregation and quiet, but still lingering racism.

"It's pretty upsetting," he said. "People naturally go into their own niches. When they look at black groups, they consider it self-segregation. But people don't hang out together just because they're black. [BSU] attempts to give people a comfort zone with familiar situations and ideology, and as a minority, you sort of need that."

Despite historical stereotypes about Princeton's lack of diversity, Draughon said he thinks the campus is improving its image and becoming more accepting of all races.

"During my time, racism hasn't been bad here," Draughon said. "There is racism in our world and being that Princeton is a microcosm of the world, people will always come in with a preconceived notion. It's the kind of racism that people don't see on the surface that is the most dangerous kind because people don't try to change it."

Among the BSU events Draughon is planning for the new year are community service trips to Trenton, a five-year anniversary celebration for the club, panel discussions and a possible African graduation ceremony. Draughon also hopes to relay the message to everyone on campus that BSU does not reach out to one group exclusively but is a forum in which everyone can participate.

Draughon's BSU presidential predecessors believe he is the right man for the job.

"He is most prepared to lead," Joseph said. "He has earned the respect and trust of his peers and administrators. I think he cares the most about the future of the BSU and the community."

"He has a lot of focus and vision," Candace Lee '06, the Draughon's direct predecessor in the BSU, said. "He has a lot of good ideas of how to unify black student groups."

Not only has Draughon gained the admiration of his peers, but also that of the administration.

"He has been a very articulate and measured representative of students' viewpoints on a variety of matters," Janet Dickerson, Vice President of Campus Life, said. "He speaks the truth in a way that doesn't diminish the environment but acknowledges the need for improvement."

Draughon, who hopes to one day help lower-income communities by getting people off the street, said he is eager to make a difference.

"We are ready to work and get the job done," he said. "I always say that we can't get to the future without keeping the past in mind."