Isaiah Jeannot selected as SGA diversity senator

Isaiah Jeannot, the creator of social justice group the Seattle Change Coalition, won the student government election for diversity student organization senator with 48% of the 1,067 total votes. Photo courtesy of Jeannot.

Sophomore Isaiah Jeannot was elected as diversity student organization senator as the student government election for the position came to a close on Sept. 16. 

“My plan will be to first bring people together and ask as many diverse groups, identities and organizations, ‘What do you need and what do you go through? What is your experience (at Chapman)?”’ Jeannot said. “It’s all about making noise, being heard and making Chapman make decisions for the students.”

Chapman’s Student Government Association (SGA) restructured the Student Organization Senate and established a diversity senator position to oversee minority student organizations. The move was made this fall semester in order to foster a greater sense of diversity.

“The diversity senator is in charge of representing different diversity clubs and organizations like the Black Student Union, Latinx and other clubs and organizations that fall under that category,” said Philip Goodrich, the president of SGA and a junior political science and history double major. “There’s a lot of issues in our world and on our campus revolving around diversity, equity and inclusion, so whoever is elected as diversity senator is going to have a lot of work left to do.”

As the elections took place the week of Sept. 14, the Chapman community voted on five different candidates for diversity senator. All candidates were able to express their passion for making a difference at Chapman through their social media platforms. Jeannot, a self-designed major focusing on Black and women gender studies, won the chair with 513, or 48%, of the 1,067 total votes. 

Jeannot expressed that his passion for social justice has been a constant since high school.

“In high school, I organized Martin Luther King Jr. days, workshops and after-school conversations about race, sexism and other topics to get students involved in social justice,” Jeannot said.

Jeannot also started his own youth organization, the Seattle Change Coalition. Originally from Seattle, Washington, Jeannot created the group to promote social justice and equality and stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

“This summer we focused a lot on racial injustice,” Jeannot said. “We had protests, a Black celebration day and fundraising for several organizations.”

Jeannot started the organization in the summer, but despite returning back to school, he is determined to continue to make a difference through his position in SGA as the diversity student organization senator.

“I’ve always felt a need to fight against injustices,” Jeannot said. “Social justice work is a passion of mine and I love working with other people to obtain certain goals. When I got the email (from SGA about applying), it clicked and I thought, ‘This is what I should be doing right now’ – taking the work I’ve been doing at home in Seattle and applying it to Chapman.”

Runner-up candidate for diversity senator Salma Sebt drew in 20% of the vote. The senior French and philosophy double major told The Panther she’s passionate about improving diversity and inclusion on campus, despite her loss.

“There isn't as much information present on different cultures, and the majority of the information backed by the media isn’t always accurate,” Sebt said. “There are so many different experiences that I personally don’t know about … It’s important for our campus to come together and learn about each other so we can all celebrate each other’s identities.”

As Jeannot embarks on his term as senator, the actions he wants to take are centered around listening to what those in diverse communities need and acting upon it. With an open door to students’ concerns, Jeannot said conversation is the first step to filling in the gaps that help form a successful action plan.

Despite noting Chapman controversies he’s witnessed as a mixed Black man, Jeannot is hopeful his term as a diversity senator will make a lasting impact on the university’s diversity and inclusion initiatives.

“The work isn’t shown until you’re gone. People such as Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman and other amazing historical people didn’t get to see what they did,” Jeannot said. “By the end of my senior year, I want to see the diversity at Chapman increase. I want to see Chapman slowly become a place where people of color, women, LGBTQIA+ and other communities feel safe, welcomed and celebrated.”