"BAL is an organization that tries to showcase the talent of Black students on this campus, but we also try to educate, enlighten and entertain at the same time"
-Anna Phillips, former BAL president
During the sixties, the Black Aesthetics Movement provided a framework where Black art could be identified and evaluated. It replaced the idea of "art for art's sake" with the idea that Black art must be functional and socially relevant. Thus, BAL was organized in accordance with the belief that activism is a vital part of art. However, art is a world that anyone can belong to. Although members of BAL are involved in various aspects of visual and performing arts, you don't have to fit an artist label to be a part of BAL. Anyone who appreciates art is welcome and needed.
Many Black and Latino students find solace in BAL because it allows the support of individual artistic expression within the unity of the organization. Since its inception in 1969, BAL has protected and nurtured the creative talents of underrepresented students by providing a safe space for artwork that has been consistently ignored or crucified on the basis of race.
Black Artist League works to erase the negative stereotypes that have plagued Black art by educating those who are willing to listen to learn about the talents of Syracuse students, and other artists who are making an impact in the larger Black and Latino communities. Artistry does not come from talent alone. Community involvement and social consciousness are of equal importance. Essentially, BAL provides a home for people who wish to work and think outside of the status quo.