College, for many students, is a place to discover one's voice and to explore new realms of expressing oneself. Some students reach a fuller understanding of themselves through ethnic student groups, others in Hillel and still others through Harvard Student Agencies.

For A. Ryan Leslie '98, the channel that most resonated with his soul was the Black Men's Forum (BMF).

Leslie's Passion--his very essence--is music, something he first explored on campus with the Krokodiloes a capella group. As chair of Arts and Entertainment for BMF, Leslie organizes jazz recitals and the annual Celebration of Black Women event.

"Singing with the Kroks was a lovely experience," Leslie says. "But there were times when they'd say, 'Ryan, you're giving us too much soul.' In working with the BMF, my creativity is never stifled. Black music has a tremendous freedom of expression."

While the Kroks' musical style reigned in Leslie's artistic freedom, working with black music allows him to improvise and explore a different dimension of himself.

"Black music is rhythm, soul and freedom. Those are things that characterize my music," he says. "I've got to have rhythm. I've got to have soul. I've got to have freedom to improvise."

The point of showcasing and celebrating black music is not, as Leslie explains, to exclude other non-black groups.

"The purpose of diversity is to bring awareness of the beauty and uniqueness of each culture," says Leslie. "The Undergraduate Council's grant application asks what each group can bring to the whole student body. [The Black Men's Forum] wants people to appreciate and see black music. I don't want to have a predominantly black audience at a concert."

On Valentine's Day Leslie produced a hip-hop and rhythm `n blues show at Pforzheimer House. What Leslie described as a "racially diverse" crowd

Part of the Crowd

Not all black students on campus feel thespecial attachment Leslie describes to blackorganizations, however, nor do they necessarilyfeel a need to join such groups.

Naima R. Lilly '01 and Karen R. Edey '01 bothhail from New York City but attended Hotchkiss, aprivate boarding school in Lakeville, Conn. Intheir graduating class, the two estimate that onlyabout 30 out of 550 students were black.

Yet for Edey and Lilly, fellow black studentsat Hotchkiss had such a strong sense of communityand activism that neither woman feels particularlycompelled to explore their racial identity throughblack organizations at the College.

"My first year I wanted to concentrate onacademics and school. I'm just overwhelmed. Ihaven't had time to get involved," says Edey, whohas never participated in the BSA or theFirst-year Black Table despite encouragement to doso.

"There's no pressure to join," she says, "butI've been encouraged to participate."

Edey explains that the Black And HispanicStudents Association at Hotchkiss performed manyof the same functions that the BSA does atHarvard. She and Lilly both agree that after fouryears of intense and thorough discussions on racein high school they have extensively exploredtheir ethnic heritage.