By Carlo Valladares
Staff Writer
In honor of Black History Month, the Black Students United (BSU), a club committed to encouraging a unified campus and sharing African-American culture and professionalism among LIU students, will host events the last week of February.
The LIU chapter of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a group that confronts issues affecting people of all races, religions, and backgrounds through outreach and education, will also host events from Feb. 10 to 12.
Black History Month is set aside to acknowledge, honor, and celebrate the achievements of black men and women throughout American history. Originally known as Negro History Week, Dr. Carter G. Woodson created Black History Month in 1926; a scholar with a Ph.D. from Harvard whose parents were both slaves.
Woodson became outraged that there was little to no proper written documentation of blacks in the United States. He fought endlessly to initiate what he felt was a needed change. Before the creation of Black History Month, African-Americans were expressed in historic literature as inferior, portrayed in a negative light.
Negro History Week was designated for the second week in February in 1926. Black History Week officially began in 1972 and four years later, in 1976, it became Black History Month.
In commemoration of this national annual tradition, the BSU will begin the week of events by hosting Family Feud, on Monday, Feb 24, co-sponsored by the NAACP. The game “will be based on the fame show format, with BSU and NAACP asking questions based off of black history past and present,” said Khadija Greenidge, sophomore Business Administration major and president of BSU.
The Student Caribbean Association (SCA) is an organization that promotes the education of the Caribbean and carbine culture through lecture, demonstration and entertainment. On Tuesday, Feb 25, BSU, co- sponsored by the SCA, will host a game night, in which students can play classic games with BSU and SCA. Both groups will be teaching students
how to play the card game Spades and Dominoes. The Family Feud and game night will both be held in the Hillwood Commons Fishbowl at 7:30p.m.
At 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26, BSU will host a Scavenger Hunt that will take place at the Interfaith Center Chapel, located on the east side of campus. “The scavenger hunt will be during our general meeting,” said Greenidge. “As most scavenger hunts are structured, participants will get a list of hints and will have to find the picture around the chapel lounge describing it,” Greenidge added. The winner will be rewarded a $25 gift card.
On Thursday, Feb. 27, BSU will have a Movie Night at the Gold Coast Cinema, located in Hillwood Commons at 9 p.m. The film “Fruitvale Station” will be shown. The Movie Night will be co-sponsored by the Association for Campus Programming (ACP), a group that creates both large and small events to enhance college life outside the classroom.
NAACP hosted two other events this week for Black History Month. On Monday, Feb. 10, they hosted a speed-dating event in the Long Island Room of the Winnick center at 8:30 p.m. Students and members conducted informal mini interviews in search of a potential partner.
On Wednesday, Feb 12, NAACP celebrates Founders Day with a “birthday party in commemoration for the special date. Details about the event can be found on Instagram (@post_naacp),” stated Denell German, a junior Education major and president of the NAACP chapter at Post.
Black history is rich and vast, and has significance for everybody of all colors and race. “Black History Month is extremely important to me. It gives everyone in the world a chance to learn more about the African-American struggles, what we had to overcome, and how far we have come in today’s society,” said German. “It’s the one month of the year where we are recognized for all of our accomplishments.”
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