On Jan. 25, 2025, Drury University’s Brother2Brother hosted a city-wide gathering of local SAAB chapters. SAAB, formerly known as Student African-American Brotherhood, is a national organization that targets the professional and collegiate success of Black and Latino men.

The Judy Thompson Executive Conference Center was transformed into a setting of dialogue, laughter, and connection for men of color. Additionally, the event invited professional and administrative leaders from across the state, working to create that crucial network of support.

SAAB’s newly developed Brother2Brother and Sister2Sister programs now offer opportunities for boys and girls, particularly within Springfield Public Schools (SPS). Founder, Dr. Tyrone Bledsoe, expressed that Saturday’s event stands as one of the first assemblies of Brother’s and Sister’s in the organization’s history.

Rosalyn Thomas, Drury Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion, and Michelle Gavel, Director of the Office for Student Access & Opportunity at SPS, addressed middle and high school students, empowering their professional journeys.

Chris Carr, Associate Director of Admissions, was also in attendance and offered poignant advice to students of color in today’s climate. The president of Drury’s Black United Independent Collegiate, Serenity Sosa, joined with her Executive Council, and they worked to provide an encouraging space for young Black women in Springfield. “They were eager to know what college life could look like for people who looked like them,” Sosa said. “It’s important to find a community where you can.”

Days later, Sosa would be asked to give a presentation for Glendale High School’s Sister2Sister chapter, further bridging the divide between university and high school students in the area. These were among the incredible connections that were planted in our community on Drury’s SAAB Saturday.

The event’s keynote speaker, Crockett Oaks, is an Associate Vice-Chancellor at Missouri State’s West Plains campus and is the founder of the Lincoln School Project: a community-based organization focused upon the restoration of a historically segregated elementary school in Southern Missouri.

Oaks’ father attended that school, and driven by a dedication for preservation and community change, Oaks purchased the building in July of 2023. Since then, the building has been reshaped into a tribute of shared history that reframes a dark period in American textbooks. It has become a touchpoint in the community, and the beautifully restored space offers diverse programming focused on unity.

Sosa connected to the presentation deeply, saying “In [Oaks’] crusade to uncover the past, he retells a familiar story.” She continued. “For me, returning to our past is a reminder of how far we’ve come, and it is a call to action on how far we can go.”

As individuals like Oaks work to restructure and preserve history, we feel inspired to keep the conversation alive. We feel inspired to create meaningful change on the foundations of those before us. And on that powerful Saturday morning, a future of community and unity was undeniably present.

Photos by Zachary Stockton