Dionte Berry
Contributing Writer
[email protected]
Iris Snapp
Contributing Writer
[email protected]
Black History Month is the time to celebrate the accomplishments of black people that have positively shaped history, and reflect on what the black community has gone through in the past.
The Office of Multicultural Initiatives and Black Student Council have come together to celebrate Black History Month with various activities on campus.
McKenna Barken is a freshman student worker for OMI and is part of the branding and marketing team. She is also one of the captains of the Radiant Racerettes. She believes that Black History Month is about embracing her history.
“Black history overall means embracing ourselves and staying informed and informing others as well,” Barken said.
Many people like Barken use this month to learn about the past and inform others of the black community’s past and current struggles.
Barken has her own way of celebrating Black History Month.
“I celebrate Black History Month by supporting black businesses, and I try to reach out to them and support them,” Barken said. “I’m even trying to reach out to some black businesses and do photoshoots for them since I have my own photography side job.”
Though Murray State does celebrate Black History Month, many students, like Nia Russell, sophomore business administration major, feel that there is more that could be done.
“I would like to see more programs [and] have more speakers because when other people and other cultures see someone ethnic like them succeed it gives everyone a different idea of what they can be,” Russell said.
Russell also said the only place on campus that focuses on minorities is OMI and feels there should be more extracurriculars for people of color.
“I would want to see more programs that show us, successful ethnic people, because it’s inspiring,” Russell said.
Senior accounting major Nile Shemwell agrees with Russell and feels as though black history should be taught for more than one month.
“It’s normal history and it shouldn’t be limited to one month,” Shemwell said. “We should learn about black history across the globe because black people have made an impact all over the world.”
Black history affects people in their everyday lives. Black History Month is a month for celebration, but also the consideration for the issues that still exist in modern American society and around the world.
On Thursday, Feb. 20, Black History Month events on campus will continue with a panel discussion in Freed Curd Auditorium about being diverse in a professional setting starting at 5 p.m. The week will end with a talent show on Friday, Feb. 21, in Mason Hall starting at 6 p.m.
Murray State’s Black History Month celebration will conclude on Friday, Feb. 28, with the fourth annual Diversity Ball in the CFSB Center at 7 p.m.
