Black at the Trischools: Instagram Activism

by Katherine B. ‘22

Since the middle of June, the instagram account @blackatthetrischools has been serving as a new way for Black members of the Tri-School community (including students, parents, alumni and faculty) to share their stories and experiences. @blackatthetrischools is an instagram account run by students from Bryn Mawr, Gilman, and Roland Park with the goal of amplifying the voices of Black students and alumni from the Tri-School community.

  When asked about the goal in the creation of @blackatthetrischools, the administrators of the account replied, “We created this platform to amplify authentic, bold, and beautiful Black voices. There is much power through storytelling. Black students and alums are able to reclaim their voices and share their experiences with racism on and off-campus.” The account’s mission statement says that it serves as a place that “gives voices to those who may not be given the context or opportunity to voice their hardships and the chance for those who share their experience with a wider audience.” It is a place where these students, parents, faculty and alumni can share the racism and microaggressions they have faced within our community. The account also encourages the Tri-School community to not only acknowledge the issues and experiences shared, but to also work to improve them. 

  In just under two months, @blackatthetrischoolss has shared almost 200 stories from students at Bryn Mawr, Gilman, and Roland Park. In addition to personal stories, the account also shares resources for others to further educate themselves on racism and activism, including an article discussing the “Blackat” movement on social media and a post inviting people to comment Black-owned businesses. 

@blackatthetrischools and its goals have not been ignored by the three schools it represents. The account has received a message from the three Tri-School heads stating that they “acknowledge your experiences and will learn from them. Each of our schools is committed to active and persistent work in anti-racism and taking steps to ensure that our Black students feel safe, supported, and loved.” Aside from this collective message, there has also been a message from Bryn Mawr alone, remarking on the work that the account has been doing:“We admire the courage of those who have come forward to bring voice to their experiences”.  When the heads of @blackatthetrischools were asked if they expected to make such an impact with the account, they replied that they did not. “We’re humbled that we were able to create this space that gives a voice to the voiceless: being Black at a PWI can feel trivializing. These stories were so riveting that it pushed Tri-School to create direct steps that work towards anti-racism.” 

The administrators of @blackatthetrischools are currently working to develop a website. It's another way to spread the stories of these students and alumni to a broader audience outside of Instagram. Their Instagram bio currently has a link to Linktree, a website the account uses  to share resources and updates from within the Tri-School community. 

When asked about hopes for the future of the account, the heads of the @blackatthetrischools account replied, “In the future, we hope to shine a light on the brilliance and positivity within this community by shouting out accomplishments of Black students and faculty within the community which can include black business owners, college acceptances, awards won, notable projects completed, and more.  In the future, [we] hope that this resource continues to act as a reminder that this community is far from perfect and that action needs to be taken to truly make these communities more comfortable for Black students. We hope that sharing our truths and hearing those of others who faced similar experiences, makes our Black students feel powerful knowing that they are not alone. Most importantly, we hope that this account makes the Black community at the trischools feel liberated, nurtured, and protected. This is our space.”