Black Power, Photo by Oladimeji Odunsi, Courtesy of Unsplash
Leah Quintero, Staff Reporter
Over the years the students at California State University, Dominguez Hills, has helped honor Black history and excellence by holding various events during the month of February and this year is no different. With a total of four in-person events, students have the opportunity to celebrate this historical month with their fellow peers after last year’s events were held exclusively online.
Two of CSUDH’s Black led organizations, the Black Student Union, and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Pi Chi Chapter, have taken the reins and arranged events that do well to help bring students together while adhering to COVID-19 protocols.
To start off the month the Black Student Union held a “Welcome Black” meeting on Feb. 2 to bring awareness about the different Black organizations and resources available on campus.
After that, and as a more hands-on event, the BSU will be hosting “Define your Black” this Wednesday Feb. 9 at 5 p.m. at the Loker Student Union in room 320. This event gives students the chance to think about their identity, discuss mental health, career plans and school life while creating a vision board.
Since its founding in 1968, the Black Student Union has done it’s part in creating a more inclusive student life for students of color. It has greatly pushed its members to help support their community, through food and toy drives to nonprofit fundraisers to provide necessities for the homeless on skid row.
Sociology senior and former BSU treasurer, Jahnae Hatley, couldn’t agree more, saying both the BSU and RBRC (Rose Black Resource Center) highlights events that acknowledge the achievements and contributions of African Americans. She feels it is a more refreshing take as opposed to the history normally taught in our education systems.
Following on Feb. 16, two days after students are set to return to face to face instruction, the BSU has planned a “Black History Month Movie Night” at 5 p.m., also located at the Loker Student Union.
Communications Director for the BSU, Ashleigh Alexander, says the film being screened that day, “A Loc + A Twist” by Tyler Griffin, centers around Black people loving the hair they were born with despite society’s opinion that their hair needs to be changed. She goes on to say Black women do not need to straighten their hair to look professional just like Black men do not need to cut theirs.
For the movie night hosted last year with the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority through Zoom, the BSU screened “Just Mercy” a film starring Jamie Fox and Michael B. Jordan, that told the story of a civil right’s defense attorney trying to free a wrongly convicted death row prisoner.
During that same week, the members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority is holding a “Divine 9 Yard Show” on Feb. 18, from 7 p.m., at the South Walkway Platform. The event is open for all students and will include organizations such as the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity along with other fraternities and sororities. For those planning to attend rsvp on Torolink.
Finally, the event ending the month of celebrations is the BSU’s “Harlem Renaissance Poetry Night” taking place on Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. location to be announced. They hope to give this space to students that wish to share their talents and express themselves through this written art form.
As we begin this month of celebrations, CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham, reminded us students and faculty in an email sent on Feb. 4. that, “history is not simply a concept of the past—our history continues to be made today and every day by people who care about advancing the race as well as civilization.” He also urges the CSUDH community to utilize and expand their knowledge so that we may get rid of the misinformation about people who may be culturally different.
Effective Feb. 14 2022, CSUDH has asked that students and employees attending campus events show a negative COVID-19 test taken 48 hours prior to the event or proof of full vaccination. For more information about the protocols visit Health and Safety (csudh.edu) and to learn more about these events visit the Black Student Union – CSUDH Toro Link and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority INC. – CSUDH Toro Link.
