Terriers in Charge: Favor Wariboko (CAS’24)
Being a person of color at a predominantly white institution comes with a variety of challenges, chief among them finding a sense of community.
Brothers United, a program run out of the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, seeks to address that issue by creating a space that offers support and fellowship to BU’s male students of color. Launched in 2008, the organization was inspired by the mission of Howard Thurman (Hon.’67), dean of Marsh Chapel from 1953 to 1965, the first Black dean at a mostly white American university, to create and foster a home away from home for BU men of color on campus. The organization welcomes all students, regardless of race or sex.
Favor Wariboko (CAS’24), a computer science major and the current lead coordinator for Brothers United, became involved with the organization as a freshmen, when his cousin brought him along to a meeting. He enjoyed the weekly gatherings and the chance they provided to meet other men of color on campus.
The group meets each Sunday afternoon at HTC, where they hold discussion-based meetings on serious topics like mental health, politics, finding role models and mentors, and current events. But they also talk about lighter topics, such as sports, culture, and music. Each meeting begins with a check-in, Wariboko says, to see how students are doing. In addition, Brothers United hosts numerous social events, among them game nights and watch parties for big sporting events, as well as partnering with other student organizations and clubs on campus.
An organization like Brothers United is important, Wariboko says, because it can be hard for male students of color on campus to to feel seen and represented. As lead coordinator, he works to create a place where students can feel safe, make new friends, and foster relationships. Brothers United draws individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, and members are encouraged to share unique aspects of their culture with one another.
Asked how Brothers United has impacted his own life, Wariboko says it not only helped him find a community of friends his freshman year, when COVID restrictions made it difficult to meet other students, but helped him break out of his shell and feel more open and confident, especially after assuming a leadership position.
“Brothers United has meant the world to me,” he says. “It’s given me lifelong friends and a home away from home.”
Interested in finding out more about Brothers United? Email thurman@bu.edu and follow the group on Instagram @brothersunitedbu.
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