Shaniqua Wesley (MSW '15), driven by a desire to enhance the Tulane School of Social Work community, made history by founding Tulane's first student chapter of the Association of Black Social Workers (ABSW) on September 1, 2015. Wesley, who earned her BSW from the University of Mississippi, joined Tulane School of Social Work as an advanced standing student in January 2015. She recognized the need for greater support for African-American students within a predominately white institution. With encouragement from the school's administration, Wesley and 17 other classmates worked to develop tools for fostering meaningful discussions and form the ABSW chapter at The School of Social Work. Clinical Associate Professor Dr. Reginald Parquet also served as an integral support and part of the chapter founding by serving as the first ABSW chapter advisor.
In 2023, the ABSW chapter at Tulane School of Social Work was reactivated by Keenan Cotton (MSW '23), with the support of Dr. Cecilia E. Suarez, Tulane School of Social Work's inaugural Associate Dean of EDI & Student Experience, Professor of Practice Dr. Deidre Hayes, and Dr. Parquet.
