For Barry Nickell, nothing is more important than representation, whether on campus or on stage dancing. A member of 2024 Homecoming Court, the fourth-year ODI Scholar (MSP) proudly represents students of color as he holds one of The Ohio State University’s highest honors.
“One of my biggest goals is to serve as inspiration for other students that look like me,” Nickell commented. “I want to serve as a representation for African American students, so that was one of the reasons I went out for Homecoming Court. I want to show the campus community that people who look like me can hold these high-up positions, especially at a PWI as large as Ohio State.”
The Columbus native seeks to support students of color not only through representation, but also financial assistance. As a court member, Nickell is fundraising for programming for the ODI Hale Black Cultural Center, which develops activities for the advancement of all Buckeyes, particularly African American students, and documents Black achievements in science, art, literature, and more.
“I want to use my Homecoming Court position to give back to the community and help the organizations and centers that helped me get to where I am,” Nickell said.
Nickell is an ambassador for the Center for Belonging and Social Change, the Director of Community Engagement and Social Justice for the National Pan-Hellenic Council, and a member of the African American Heritage Festival and Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. As a dance major, he is passionate about increasing Black representation in dance and is the founder of the Black Dance Association and a volunteer for Columbus Public Schools’ Activists in Motion.
“There’s not a lot of African Americans in the dance field, so I want to continue performing as well as serve as a face for people that look like me in dance. I want to be on stage and show Black and brown people that you can go out and do dance just like everyone else,” Nickell said. “The best way to fight injustice is to have representation, so we can inspire more people to take on these roles and pave the way for future generations.”