Valentine’s Day hit the University of Denver campus in full force this year. Love was undoubtedly in the air this past Tuesday in more ways than one. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Community Commons Grand Forum, DU’s Black Community Initiatives (BCI) held an event celebrating Black Love in all forms.
Black Love Day officially takes place on Feb. 13, a day before Valentine’s Day. It is dedicated to practicing love toward more than just a romantic partner. The family, the Black community and the Self are all things people are encouraged to show love for on Black Love Day.
BCI’s Black Love Booth | Courtesy of Emma Lawson
BCI’s event reflected this value in its premier event. Participants that visited the booth at the front of the event were asked Black history trivia questions. If players answered the questions correctly, they would receive a free book of their choice. The books ranged from children’s books to graphic novels to collections of university-level academic essays.
“All of our books are really kind of tailored to where we all may be in our individual journey,” John Robinson-Miller, IV, Associate Director of BCI said.
The selection also varied in terms of subject matter. No matter what you wanted to learn about Black Love, BCI had a book for you.
“We have books… that tell the narrative of the Black Panther Party in comic book format. We have books that are also comments about the Civil Rights Movement. We have books about physical self-love. We have books about… spiritual self-love. We have things that dive into the intersectionality of queerness, of womanhood, of different religions, we have a little bit of everything,” Robinson-Miller, IV said.
Throughout the event, the love for Black culture was tangible. Kiristen Hubbard, a second-year graduate student in forensic psychology and graduate student worker for BCI, commented on the importance of including Black Love all around the event.
“We really wanted to celebrate Black culture, Black History Month, Black engagement, all of those things,” Hubbard said. “We wanted to make sure that the books that we chose were written by Black authors, and that the music that we’re playing has Back composers, Black artists, and [we’re] supporting Black-owned businesses for Black History Month.”
Kiristen Hubbard (left) and John Robinson-Miller, IV (right) | Courtesy of Emma Lawson
The festivities did not stop at the front booth. Beyond the doors of the Grand Forum were a variety of activities designed to help students embrace love. Along with a table well-stocked with snacks, there was a Black Love photo booth, Black-owned coloring books, and an Affirmation Station. The latter consisted of a tall mirror where students could stand proudly and show themselves some self-love.
“Sometimes that can be an emotional experience for folks,” Robinson-Miller, IV said.
So, why focus on books? According to BCI, books were the ideal way to bring the DU community together this Valentine’s Day.
“As we’re looking at our populations, we’re all around this university experience. And I think there’s the lived experience and there’s the intellectual experience … We hope to create multiple entry points … no matter where you are,” Robinson-Miller, IV said. “And additionally, you get to carve out space to read about blackness in a way that may not be for class. It can just be for us as well.”
When we face hardship, it is important to remember that the love we feel and the love we show for the people around us, including ourselves, is our greatest strength. BCI’s Black Love event served as a shining example of how showing love to others and to ourselves creates a greater feeling of love in the world around us.
For updates on future BCI events, check out their website, Instagram, and Twitter.
