Leslie Stevenson: Community Building and Activism at UVA
Corks and Curls, 1990.
Watching basketball with her father was where Leslie Stevenson first learned about the University of Virginia. It was early 80s, the Ralph Sampson era, a brilliant time for U. Va. basketball. The 7’4” center carried the Cavaliers to their first final four appearance in school history. Despite the luster of U. Va. basketball, it was really the size of the city that drew Leslie to the University.
Coming from a town of 200 people, Leslie was excited for this new experience. Move in fell during the week of Leslie’s 18thbirthday and was a tangible indication of the new chapter she was entering. That weekend Leslie met countless new friends and also encountered several familiar faces. She remembers being struck in that first week with how the environment at the University of Virginia was the perfect combination of fun and academics. There were many places for Leslie to meet new people in the early days of her U. Va. experience, and the Office of African American Affairs played an important role in creating spaces to help African American students transition and succeed. The peer advisor program has received national recognition since being founded in 1984. Moreover, events like Spring and Fall Fling served as welcoming events for new students, but also a community building experience for students already at U. Va, all of which helped to solidify Leslie’s cavalier experience.
Leslie had many valuable academic experiences during her time at the University. Despite being an English major, Leslie realized near the end of her time at U. Va. However, the class that had the greatest impact on Leslie’s life was a career planning class she took through the career center. In that class she learned skills about how to choose a major and write resumes, skills she now teaches to students as a career counselor at the University of Richmond.
Outside of the classroom, Leslie became involved as a big sibling through Madison House. She developed a very close bond with her little sibling. Her sibling came home with her one year for Thanksgiving, and walked to grounds on Leslie’s graduation day to show her support. Additionally, Leslie joined Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. U. Va’s chapter of the historically black Greek organization was founded in 1974. Both of Leslie’s parents are native Virginians but could not attend the University due to segregation and instead attended Virginia Union University. It was at these homecomings and reunions that Leslie first experienced black Greek culture and she knew then that it was something she wanted to be a part of. Community service was a guiding factor in Leslie’s experience, and she was particularly drawn to AKA because she wanted to be part of a group that was civically minded. As a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Leslie participated in a serious of repair projects at a community center in Charlottesville and volunteered at a senior center.
“It was a place to meet after class or between classes. It was a place that you knew you were going to see all of your friends in the middle of the day.”
The social scene at U. Va. was lively and colorful. A staple in Leslie’s college experience was the black bus stop. The black bus stop was the two stops in McCormick road between Monroe and Garrett hall. It served as a gathering place for African American students. All throughout the day, between classes, it served as a place where you could always find a familiar face. This location was also where information was passed along before the age of cellphones and social media. To this day, black alumni congregate there when they return to grounds and have recently taken the black bus stop on the road and held a gathering in D.C. in the years between reunions.
The conversation of race and social activism on grounds was as vibrant as ever. Leslie notes that the racial climate was largely very welcoming and that she felt instantly welcome in her dorm and has remained in touch with many of the first friends she made in her dorm. Occasionally, the atmosphere felt hostile when other students made negative comments about affirmative action. The admissions policies dictated by affirmative action have had a long and controversial history since their inception, leading to many high-profile court cases and landmark decisions. Being at U. Va. was the first time Leslie had been exposed to social activism. Apartheid was a social issue of immense importance on campuses across the country and students staged protests to pressure their institutions to divest from South Africa. The University of Virginia was no different. Students built a “shanty town” on the lawn to draw attention to conditions in South Africa and force the Board of Visitors to act. Towards the end of Leslie’s time at the University, students started speaking up for the LGBT+ community. During this time only a handful of students were courageous enough to stand on the lawn and face the jeering from other students, and it was through these times that Leslie learned what it meant to be a good ally.
Leading up to graduation was a special time. The last day of classes was the best part of the year, with festive celebrations and excitement for the next chapter. Graduation was a joyous occasion filled with colorful balloons and kente cloth stoles. These garments have been worn with pride by African American students for decades in universities across the country as a symbol of African heritage and a celebration of academic achievement. Leslie remembers capping her experience at the University of Virginia with pride and the feeling of happiness that came from looking out at the crowd and seeing the pride in all of the supportive faces.
