Fisson Tibbo
Fisson Tibbo is a fourth-year student taking a double major in Psychology and in Social Justice and Community Studies. She also holds three roles at Saint Mary’s: as a Residence Assistant; as a Residence Services Officer and as the Student Coordinator for the Racialized Student Academic Network (RSAN), which focuses on the academic wellbeing of BIPOC students.
During the lead-up to Black History/African Heritage Month, Tibbo took some time to reflect on what it means to be a Black leader at Saint Mary’s, and what Black joy looks like in the SMU community.
“As a Resident Assistant, I am a leader who can give representation for Black students, promote events and help foster the love we have for one another.” Tibbo shares. “I bring my experience and knowledge into my role, helping to raise awareness, share resources, initiate discussions and connect Black students from all different backgrounds to the best of my abilities.”
“As the Student Coordinator of RSAN at Saint Mary’s, creating a safe space is one of my priorities,” Tibbo explains. “Those spaces give us the opportunity to come together, to celebrate one another and celebrate the histories of our ancestors.”
Imani Tribe performs at International Night at SMU
When asked what Black joy at SMU means for Tibbo, she describes it as, “Seeing my people and having the community to walk into a space where I feel safe, seeing people coming together, playing music, dancing...even complimenting on each other's hair and understanding hair struggles,”
In addition to her roles at Saint Mary’s, Tibbo is also a member of the Imani Tribe, an African Christian acoustic musical group at SMU. The group recently took to the stage to perform at the 27th Annual International Night at SMU, an event that showcases and celebrates the incredible cultural diversity of the international community at Saint Mary’s.
Thank you Fisson for your thoughts on living and sharing Black joy, and your contributions to helping your community thrive!