Black History recognition week

The Black Student Union (BSU) used its week of the new SOSPOP program to celebrate black history and recognize it. Members had activities from Feb. 26 to March 2, ranging from movie showings to guest speakers.

BSU president Bianca Greer organized the activities. “It’s important to share Black History Month with our students in order to fulfill the dreams of our ancestors and to educate people about their accomplishments,” she said.

The week kicked off with two showings of “13th Amendment” in the library. The movie showed the plight of modern mass incarceration of black men, relating it to slavery.

Students had a discussion about this issue, examining ways to combat the problem of disproportionate imprisonment in the black community.

On Tuesday, special guest Dr. Melina Abdullah spoke about mass incarceration and the failure of the school system to educate black students. Abdullah is chair of Pan-African studies at CSU Los Angeles and a Black Lives Matter activist. She spoke about how students could get involved in the Black Lives Matter movement.

On Wednesday, students made posters celebrating important black figures and their accomplishments. They honored Malcolm X, Naomi Campbell, Matt Turner, Fred Hampton, and others.

BSU played music made by African Americans during lunch, including hits by Stevie Wonder and Sisters With Voices.

Greer wanted to make sure black history is not forgotten. “We must keep their legacies alive and teach future generations to do the same,” she said.

The week was spent raising awareness of the accomplishments of African Americans and the issues faced by the black community today.

Next year, BSU hopes to “make a big impact” by bringing in another guest speaker and incorporation of black history into the normal curriculum, according to Greer. Students also hope to convert the Afrocentric history and literature classes into honors classes.