Stephen DeCordova came to McMaster and created a community

During his time at McMaster, Stephen DeCordova didn’t just find his community, he created one.

DeCordova, who is graduating in June with a political science degree specializing in judicial studies and public law, found that although McMaster was a welcoming space for all, there wasn’t a dedicated community for Black men. So, he helped make one.

But first, let’s rewind a bit.

Settling in

DeCordova chose McMaster because he was aware that University provided more than just academics. He wanted somewhere that was diverse, where he could meet and learn from lots of different people.

But admittedly, it was a slow start. Due to the Covid pandemic, all his studies were online. He was locked down and couldn’t get involved in all the opportunities he had dreamed of.

But once lockdown lifted and McMaster started to return to normalcy, DeCordova jumped into campus life. He was an inaugural Welcome Week representative for the Black Student Success Centre (BSSC), ensuring Black first year students felt represented as soon as they stepped foot onto campus. He later grew within the BSSC, working as an Outreach and Transition Program Support Assistant, where he helped build a program called Gear up for Mac, which welcomed Black students onto campus for a short residency before they started full time.

“I’m so proud of the work we did,” said DeCordova. “I’ve followed those students’ journeys all the way through Mac to see how much they’ve grown.”

Blackprint

But DeCordova’s proudest achievement during his time here was founding Blackprint, a community for Black men, by Black men. Co-founded with Joseph Negede, BlackPrint is a fully ratified MSU club.

The inspiration came because, although McMaster has supports for the Black community, “there wasn’t a huge support system tailored to the needs of Black men,” said DeCordova. “It felt like we were falling between the gaps.”

Rather than accept the status quo, DeCordova and Negede, alongside inaugural members Muhammed Fatty, Ojima Godwin, and Jaden Knight, took it upon themselves to build BlackPrint—grounded in two core pillars: community and professional development.

And ever since it launched, the club has been a huge success.

“Our first major success was an event called The Shop,” said DeCordova. “We offered free haircuts from student barbers with structured discussions on topics like mental health, with support from a psychiatrist from BSSC.”

“We were dedicated to creating a safe space for deep, meaningful conversations, and even though around 70 people showed up, people still felt safe enough to share and cry together. I think that’s really a testament to what we created.”

So much so, that it became an annual event; the cornerstone of BlackPrint’s event calendar.

And for the professional development pillar, the BlackPrint team set up two conferences, one in collaboration with TD, and the other with Amazon, where the attendees toured a fulfilment centre and joined panel sessions at Amazon’s Toronto HQ.

“Our conference became a hallmark of Black Print,” said DeCordova. “Providing communal growth is important, but if people couldn’t succeed after university, it was all for nothing in our eyes.”

Advocating for others

Given all that he accomplished in creating a community at McMaster, it’s no surprise that DeCordova puts others first.

“I’ve always wanted to advocate for people who fall through the cracks, and I’ve always wanted to give back to my community,” he said. And the opportunity at BSSC, coupled with his work at Blackprint, only solidified his commitment to helping others.

That’s one of the reasons that Stephen ran for Vice-President (Education) for the McMaster Student Union. Given the community that he built, and the reputation he created for helping others, it’s no surprise he was elected.

“It was a surreal moment, I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “It felt like the culmination of my journey through the BSSC and Blackprint. I’m just grateful to get the opportunity to advocate on behalf of the McMaster community.”

And, given his passion for serving others, you probably won’t be all that surprised by his career plans.

“I’ve deferred my acceptance to Osgoode Law School and start next year,” he said.

“And wherever I end up, I’ll always advocate for those who others forget and strive to provide other with what I didn’t have.”