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With the arrival of February, Barton celebrates Black History Month.
Barton’s community organizes a series of activities to commemorate and recognize the important roles of African Americans in the battle against inequality and how the actions they took to achieve their objectives changed U.S. history.
The Minority Student Association, along with the Hackney Library, the Social Justice Resource Center, and several community organizations, such as the Roundhouse Museum, arrange all the events done on campus with the intention to entertain students and disseminate a sense of appreciation for this month.
According to Marcella Medley, president of the Minority Student Association, all the activities have been well received by the student. Students who have attend show the willingness of Barton students to participate and collaborate with the events happening in Black History Month.
The first commemoration of this month occurred at the end of January, when the Minority Student Association and its partner organizations, hosted a lecture about the history of black business here in Wilson. It was the latest installment of their series of conversations about the legacy of the civil rights movement.
Later, the secretary of MSA and resident assistant, Tiara Hargrove, created bulletin boards full of black history facts and spread them across the campus. Also, the MSA and RA Terrance Holloway hosted a diversity film series that featured movies not typically shown on campus.
In addition to the different events performed at Barton, the MSA and the Barton office of diversity and inclusion brought professional hairstylists to give students styling tips for all types of hair, encouraging diversity on campus.
All the work done for these events is achieved by a group of Barton College Students and staff members that are always looking forward to help Barton’s community and bring awareness to it.
“Our partner organizations are always willing to support our ideas and our efforts,” Medley said. “Any member of the Barton community is welcome to collaborate with us on these activities; they just have to bring us their ideas and plans for us to materialize them.”
In the future, as the MSA brainstorms more ideas and bring them to life, the number of activities is going to gradually increase, and by extension, the relevance of this month and its meaning will disseminate creating consciousness among people.
“Black history month represents everything that black people had been, who we are now, and what we can be,” Medley said. “It also represents the urgency of truth telling; every year I learn something new about my history and it shapes me as a person. I believe everyone can benefit from that because it really makes a difference in a person’s character.”
By Vanessa Sanoja
Staff Writer
