Aiah Nour on leadership

Photo Credit: Aiah Nour
by Global Nebraska Wed, 03/03/2021 - 14:46

Aiah Nour, a senior biochemistry major from Khartoum, Sudan, knows a thing or two about leadership. From her involvements as Chief of Staff for the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska (ASUN) Student Government, Vice President of Outreach for the Black Student Union, and President of the UNL African Student Association, she has a clear passion for her community.

Aiah sat down with us to share her thoughts on Black students in leadership, the importance of sharing Black stories and what #BlackHistoryMonth means to her. Read an excerpt below or listen to Part 1 on our IGTV.

What is the importance of culture in your everyday life? At the university?
It's definitely hard, especially at a predominantly white institution, to express culture in any facet, whether that's my nationality or how to express where I'm from. But I think because of that, it's even more important to find those little communities and to flourish in them. It's also important for the Husker culture because Nebraska is a predominantly white state. Bringing the culture to UNL and making it flourish throughout generations after us is extremely important.

Why do you think it’s important to have Black students in positions of power at the university?
It matters at [upper administration] levels, even though it seems distant or abstract in terms of how it affects us as students. We've seen that in the fall where COVID disproportionately affects Black and brown communities. That's something maybe a white person on the COVID task force wouldn't know because it's just not part of their everyday life. But that's why representation matters.

What does Black history mean to you?
Throughout this past year and everything that we've dealt with racial inequality, a lot of topics surrounding race have become negative. But I think highlighting Blackness and its positivity is something we need to do more. What it means to me is celebrating the Blackness that I do see on campus and beyond, and just making sure to think about Blackness not in a negative light or where we see constant inequalities and disparities – but also in one where Blackness is the light to many situations and to many things.

Aiah Nour