Queens Uniquely Empowering Every Notable Sister (QUEENS) Org. at Slippery Rock University aims to support and empower women of color on campus.
QUEENS Org. was established at SRU on April 11, 2016. This is their sixth year on campus.
Amber Hamilton, the group’s advisor, has been a part of QUEENS Org. for three and a half years. Her position involves supporting the students in club operations, including finding rooms, booking speakers and brainstorming. She also signs off on financial decisions.
The club consists of 10-15 members, five of whom make up the executive board. They meet once a month for events designed to uplift women and provide a support system for them to confide in. The latest event, “What is Toxic? Part 2”, came after a successful conversation about toxicity last fall.
“This meeting consisted of conversation on what toxicity looks like in relationships,” Hamilton said. “Not necessarily romantic relationships: it could be family relationships or friendships.”
Hamilton has noticed the positive effect on students involved in QUEENS Org. According to her, they spend time together outside of school and use GroupMe to communicate and help each other.
“They feel like they have a voice,” Hamilton commented. “Of all spaces, this is a place, when they have meetings or events, that they really share what’s going on in their lives or what they’re experiencing.”
During her time as advisor, Hamilton has observed positive effects in her own life as well. She said that providing support and building leaders has been impactful, especially as a Black woman helping other young Black women. She enjoys helping others as she has been helped in the past.
Hamilton did not have access to an organization like QUEENS Org. when she was in college. Most local groups that empowered Black women were associated with sororities, or else they were co-ed organizations.
“I want to pour into it because I didn’t have this particular group as a college student,” Hamilton said.
She encourages people from all walks of life to attend events, share their own perspectives and hear their peers out.
“That way, they can have a deeper understanding and hopefully [an] appreciation to the women of color that we do have on campus,” Hamilton said.
Students interested in QUEENS Org. can visit their CORE page, reach out to the president at alj1017@sru.edu or visit their Instagram @queensorg.sr.
