The Black Student Union and SEA Board will host a dinner in honor of Black History Month to promote a greater awareness of racism on Feb. 16 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Flight Deck.
The dinner will feature keynote speakers, presentations from BSU and a surprise activity.
According to history.com, Black History Month, which was first celebrated in 1976, is an annual recognition of the achievements of black Americans and an acknowledgment of the central role of African Americans in U.S. history.
President of the Black Student Union Nucleus Shelton, senior political science major, said that he hopes to underscore the historical developments in discrimination in the U.S.
“Discrimination has kind of taken a new form,” he said. “Rather than individuals discriminating against each other, which is apparent, we want to talk about different disparities in public services. It’s not necessarily individuals but rather organizations.”
Multicultural diversity chair Jeevana Pakanati, sophomore biology major, said she hopes that the dinner will help students understand racism in a different way.
“I want students to come out saying, ‘Oh my gosh ― people were treated like this. It’s not fair at all,’” she said.
Shelton said that BSU wants to show how people can subconsciously react to prejudice.
“If the connection is made between this dinner and what people experienced in the 50s and 60s, that’ll be very powerful,” he said.
The Black Student Union has hosted several events throughout February, including a banana pudding sale, a black networking event, an open mic night, and a forum on what it means to be black in the U.S.
Shelton thinks that during Black History Month, it’s important to discuss contributions of more obscure black leaders in addition to the role of figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks.
“It’s an opportunity to understand the perspective of a marginalized community,” he said. “It’s a chance for narratives to be written using our own voices. It’s important to step back and look at a different perspective when it comes to U.S. history.”
Pakanati hopes the dinner will inspire students to eliminate discrimination and provide them with a better understanding of the discrimination that exists.
“Challenge your biases,” Shelton said. “Rather than going in to the dinner dogmatic with a certain mindset, be open to different perspectives. Whatever you’re fixed in, whatever you firmly believe, be willing to hear what the other side has to say.”
All students are welcome to attend the Black History Month Dinner.
