This February in honor of Black History Month the Black Student Alliance (BSA) of DU hopes to celebrate and emphasize the triumphs of a thriving culture beyond the recognition pop culture icons.

Each week of the month the BSA will feature an event open to the community emphasizing various aspects of black culture. On Thursday, the alliance will present a showcase of slam poetry by DU students and members of the community to honor the spoken word.  The event is from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in Craig Hall. 

“We want people to feel comfortable to participate in BSA events and share their opinions,” said Danielle Nelson, BSA historian.

The BSA will pay tribute to black entertainment with theater, monologue performances, music and dance at “A Tribute to Black Entertainment-Our People, Our Plays, Our Productions,” on Feb. 12 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the Driscoll Ballroom.

The following week, Feb. 17, BSA and Sigma Lambda Beta will present “Reflections of the Diverse Mind,” from 6 to 8 p.m. in Sturm Hall, room 251.

“We will be discussing black and brown relations and show the dynamics affecting the relationships between African Americans and Hispanics,” Nelson said.

On Tuesday, Feb. 23 in Craig Hall the BSA will host “A Night With the Tuskegee Airmen.” The Denver chapter of Tuskegee Airman is an organization of the first black pilots to fly in the U.S. Army in World War II. Members will share their stories and answer questions.

Speaking about the significance of Black History Month, Nelson said, “I think as people become more aware of how deep black culture is, they see that there is more than the stereotypes, more than the music. Most students only see one side of black culture, rap and hip-hop. There is another side we aren’t taught about in school. We hope to expose students and the community to this in an open environment of appreciation.”

Carter G. Woodson created Negro History Week in 1926 to honor the history he felt was absent from history books. Woodson was a historian and the second African American to graduate from Harvard with a doctorate.

He chose the week in February because it encompassed the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. He recognized the need of the American people to be reminded of the historical significance of a culture within the melting pot.

“If you are unable to demonstrate to the world that you have this record, the world will say to you, you are not worthy to enjoy the blessings of democracy or anything else,” Woodsen said.

The week evolved into a month-long reminder to recognize roles individuals play in stereotyping culture. The BSA and several other groups around campus desire to continue the mission that Woodsen began by celebrating the richness of African American culture during Black History Month.

“We chose a theme for this year’s events, ‘Celebrating Our Story,’ to encompass our history and teach people in the community of the importance of preservation of culture,” said Nelson.

Feb. 26, the BSA will hold  “Thank You Formal” in Driscoll Ballroom from 8 to 10 p.m. as a culmination of events marking Black History Month. Guests are invited to enjoy a night of speeches, dancing and mingling.

The BSA regularly meets in the J-Mac classroom Thursday evenings at 6 p.m. but will not be meeting in February due to the weekly events.

For more information about the BSA’s mission and updated event details, visit du.edu/orgs/bsa.

 

February festivities

• Celebrating Our Stories Through Spoken Word. Feb. 4, 6 – 8:30 p.m. Craig Hall
• A Tribute to Black Entertainment- Our People, Our Plays, Our Productions. Feb. 12, 6 – 8:30 p.m. Driscoll Ballroom
• Reflections of the Diverse Mind. Feb. 17, 6 – 8 p.m. Sturm Hall Room 251
• A Night With the Tuskegee Airmen. Feb. 23, Time TBA in Craig Hall
• BSA “Thank You” Formal. Feb. 26, 6 – 10 p.m. Driscoll Ballroom