The resurgence of student activism has yielded dynamic change within university housing departments and beyond on college campuses across the country. In higher education, the social, cultural, and political environment continues to be highly racialized and characterized by a string of protests and public displays of student angst. The threat of low enrollment and retention for students of color, the threat to their cultural and emotional well being, as well as the threat to their existence on campus, has yielded opportunities for increased staff support, new cultural centers, and policy changes. As a result, new professional roles, programs, funding, and strategic plans have emerged because of the collaborative social change work from students, faculty, staff, and community members. University housing professional staff and student leaders have played an integral role in serving as both a catalyst and an epicenter for campus movements. This article will detail the events leading up to the formation of #BeingBlackAtIllinois, a major change movement at UIUC birthed from a viral social media image, which was facilitated by university housing staff, student leaders, and the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center. The article also highlights the crucial tenants needed to sustain the integrity and longevity of housing-based student movements by sharing narratives of student leaders and practitioners coupled with best practices for transformative work, lessons learned through collaboration, and strategies for maintaining self-care among all involved parties. [Discussion questions developed by Cyndel Brunell.]