In honor of Black History Month, we asked members of the Black Student Union what media they would recommend the NSU community check out this month. Here were a few of their suggestions.
Shylia Barnes, secretary and junior human services administration major, said:
“I think everyone should watch ‘Roots’ at some point in their lives because it is a powerful miniseries that embodies slavery and how black people were treated. I first saw it when I was in high school, and I was so happy that the teacher made it a part of the curriculum because it made the topic more real than just reading words from a textbook.”
Taylor Blackwell, vice president and senior chemistry major, said:
“I think everyone should read the ‘Willie Lynch Letter.’ This letter states how racism and mental slavery were meant to continue past the abolition of slavery by turning blacks against one another through colorism. Willie Lynch knew that this mentality would carry on today and hurt the Black community [which is why] we should educate ourselves and heal our community as it relates to colorism.”
Talisa Heholt, event planning chair and senior nursing major, said:
“I actually found this book on a shelf in my mom’s garage called ‘Our Separate Ways’ by Ella L.J. Edmondson Bell and Stella M. Nkomo. The text illustrates how black and white women go through different struggles in the push for professional identity and success and how racial differences intensify this particular separation. I like that it focuses on making the audience — especially white women — aware that in fighting the battle of sexism, it’s also essential to stand against racism. You can’t properly stand against sexism if you aren’t fighting for your black female counterparts.”
Jocelyn Hunter, community service chair and sophomore biology major, said:
“’The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks’ is a great read for Black History Month. It tells the true story of a poor, uneducated black woman whose cancer cells were used, without her knowledge, to create the first ‘immortalized’ cell line. Her HeLa cells went on to become one of the most valuable assets to medical research, yet neither her nor her family received compensation for her contribution.”
Brithney Lamour, treasurer and senior biology major, said:
“‘13th.’ Everyone must see it. It really gives an insight into why Black Lives Matter is such an important movement. It’s a great breakdown of this system and how deeply-rooted it is in slavery and oppression.”
Taliyah White, event planning committee member and sophomore environmental science major, said:
“My favorite book is ‘The Bluest Eye’ by Tony Morrison, which I relate to a lot because even though I’m a light-skinned girl, I was the only brown girl in my high school. I found myself wishing I was white with blue eyes because I thought that would make people like me more; that I’d fit in more, and it would make me feel beautiful. This book follows the experience of a young black girl who’s the darkest-skinned girl in all of her black community. She’s constantly experiencing racism, even from her own people and she thinks she’s not beautiful and prays to God that He would make her eyes blue so that others would like her more. So, I feel like it’s a really good book to read this month.”
Shey King, event planning committee member and junior political science major, said:
“My favorite artist is Kendrick Lamar because he is the person who cared about being ‘woke’ before it was a trend. No one wants to be aware of what’s going on in society, when it’s just them seeing it. It puts you in the spotlight and you’re afraid of what people think of you and all those things. But, he has been writing music about what’s really been going on since before all these famous people came into the light saying they represent this or that. He didn’t care what people thought, or whether or not his albums were bought. He tries to send a message through his music and addresses real issues. His album, ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ was all about being black, embracing your blackness, and talking about how society puts us at a disadvantage in general.”
