Students will lift their voices to raise awareness when Georgia Southern University’s Black Student Alliance organization hosts the Invisible Children Benefit Concert this Friday.

BSA plans to host this benefit concert to help children in Uganda who are put in the line of fire involuntarily.

“A lot of people don’t know about Invisible Children and we want to raise money to give to the organization because they do a lot for children in Africa,” Erica Gardener, senior communication arts major, public relations co-chair for BSA and the coordinator for the concert, said.

BSA began in 1978 and was the first GSU organization to raise awareness of the issues in the black community in Statesboro. The group has opened doors to solving future problems within the community as well. It serves GSU by organizing events and community service projects for philanthropic purposes. The group’s main focus this semester is raising awareness for the children in Uganda. Posted on the Invisible Children website is the filmmakers’ mission, which is to use “film, creativity and social action to end the use of child soldiers in Joseph Kony’s rebel war and restore LRA-affected communities in central Africa to peace and prosperity.”

Helping African children is especially important to this organization’s purpose. According to senior justice studies major, Alexandria Mann, who is the assistant secretary of BSA, the empowerment of black people is the initial idea behind the BSA’s movement.

“It’s all about going back to our roots to understand where we came from,” Mann said.

Students will enjoy refreshments as they watch the array of performances from organizations at GSU. BSA would like to showcase student talent with this event as well. There will be eight anticipated performances, including groups such as Soul’d Out Campus Choir, Adrenaline Show Choir, Euphoria and more.

At the concert, a table will be set up to collect further donations. BSA hopes to raise about $500 to donate to the Invisible Children’s fund since the organization itself is non-profit. The event will go to show that students are capable of making a difference in the lives of others.

“We want to show the world that college students are well-educated because the world is so much bigger than Georgia Southern and Statesboro,” Mann said.

The Invisible Children Benefit Concert will be held on Friday at 7 p.m. in the Russell Union Ballroom.