UPDATED: BDU endorses Sabriyya Pate for DSG President

On Thursday, Blue Devils United decided to retract its endorsement for the position of executive vice president of Duke Student Government.

"Given the introduction of new information regarding the EVP candidates, Blue Devils United has decided to retract our endorsement for the 2018 EVP elections," read a statement from BDU. "All the best to the candidates!"

Here is the original endorsement without BDU's endorsement of Alec Lintz for EVP:

Upon individually meeting with all candidates campaigning for Duke Student Government President, Blue Devils United has voted to endorse Sabriyya Pate for President. While the decision of whom to choose among a pool of incredibly capable candidates was difficult, BDU has made our endorsements on the rational following. 

We believe that Sabriyya Pate’s innate passion and intentionality in engaging with the LGBTQ+ community made her most aligned with BDU’s goals. Her past efforts to improve LGBTQ+ representation within DSG via BDU was a distinct reminder of her going above and beyond to fight for equity. Furthermore, her understanding, support, and willingness to address the demands of LGBTQ+ students in the Divinity School highlight her fervor for bettering the lives of marginalized students. However, it was Sabriyya’s intentionality that was the ultimate deciding factor for BDU. Sabriyya came into our meeting ready and wanting to speak to us about how her campaign intersects with LGBTQ+ identities than any other candidate, and we hope that her dedication to promoting intersectionality and change will linger throughout the rest of her time here at Duke.

This being said, all candidates for both positions this year showed an incredible understanding of intersectional issues on campus and improving communications between DSG and student groups. We believe that regardless of the winner of this year's race, that Duke Student Government will continue making strides to improve relations with BDU, and actively advocate for LGBTQ+ students in their efforts to promote intersectionality and equity on-campus. 

Be United,

Blue Devils United Executive Board