Since 1976, the United States has set aside Feb. to celebrate African American culture and history as Black History Month. Colorado Mesa University’s (CMU) Black Student Alliance (BSA) planned many fun events to celebrate.
BSA coordinator Liban Shongolo is a first generation student who was born and spent his early youth in Kenya.
“I think that we have a large African American population on campus that needs to come together and have an environment in our network and just socialize and have a good time and enjoy the things that go on here at CMU and I wanted to be somebody who can spirit that and bring us together,” Shongolo said.
This month, BSA hosted jazz brunch and Tasty Thursday in the Caf, which featured Black inspired dishes on the menu. They have future plans for a karaoke night and are participating in the annual CMU fashion show, with the rest of the Cultural Inclusion Council. The theme for this year’s fashion show is reflection.
“We’re gonna have kids wearing pieces from different coasts of Africa and some kids wearing some urban American clothing. Because Black is not what you make it out to be in your mind it is what it is to whoever claims to or not claimed but deems themselves as Black or African American,” Shongolo said.
BSA has also collaborated with groups in the community for Black History Month. They organized an essay contest with local nonprofit Black Citizens and Friends. The winner of the essay contest will receive a prize.
“I think just being open minded and having honest conversations, addressing the elephant in the room, and things of that nature and having genuine intentions, intentions of understanding one another and coming from a good place. And I think if that’s the foundation of the conversations that we’re having, they can be progressive and, and have a positive outcome. So I think that’s all it takes is being honest and upfront and addressing the things that need to be addressed. I think there’s no shame in that. … just say it, right. See what happens, and if anything, we’re creating a hostile environment by not doing it, by not having those conversations are not by not acknowledging the things that we’re seeing and the injustice, the injustice is and disparities in society.”
It’s early in the semester, but Shongolo has plans to take BSA to new horizons and he is excited to share what BSA has in store this semester.
“Meeting people is all you need to do to be a part of the Black Student Alliance because those relationships, that’s what we’re trying to build and those things go a long way.”
