Neo Isaac Fleurimond ’24

Neo Isaac Fleurimond makes the most of the opportunities he encounters and creates, stretching out of his comfort zone to start a Black performance group called Black Raspberry. “Wes is small, and the Black community here is even smaller,” he shares, “but I wanted to empower people.” The group started with a handful of people in the Fall of 2022, joined by those who wanted to play music and feel supported among others with shared experiences. By Spring 2023, Black Raspberry had a horn section, rhythm, pianos, bass, guitar, vocalists, dancers, and more. They played Spring Fling to massive crowds and the group is still growing and evolving into something even more emotionally and artistically expansive. Neo launched a Black arts collective that’s revolutionizing what’s possible and joyful on campus. It’s a far cry from his original intent of studying law, but Neo created something original. He has—and he’s inspiring—a level of love, of trust, of commitment that he wants to grow into something with widespread impact. 

“Wesleyan is the best space I can think of,” says Neo. “The way this school empowers creativity and values keeping an open mind makes it perfect for me. I want to make everyone in this space proud and use that support to advocate for Black expression.”