By Itzel Chavero
Dominican kicked off Black History Month with a food and music festival on Feb. 1 in the Social Hall.
The Center for Cultural Liberation (CCL) offered students a taste of soul food while also playing some of the greatest hits from Black musicians.
Around 11 a.m., nearly 50 students gathered in the hall for tickets, which offered them mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and jerk chicken. Dessert options included cord bread and banana pudding.
Jamal Patterson, assistant director and Black/African American support coordinator for the CCL, created this festival to honor the roots and history of Black students on campus.
“If we can celebrate and keep Black History Month with food from all over the African region and have a lot of good music, conversation and community, I think that is good for our students to feel celebrated,” he said.
Black students make up approximately 5% of the student population at Dominican. This event helped many express their joy in seeing more events that celebrate the culture of minority students.
Jupiter Jones, a sophomore double majoring in Black World Studies and secondary English education, said she enjoys seeing spaces that celebrate her culture and traditional soul food.
“Having events around campus that are for Black students makes me feel seen,” she said. “It also feels like I am back at home.”
With popular songs from artists like Drake, Rema, and Rihanna, students and faculty members engaged in friendly conversations and ate delicious food together.
Patterson focuses his role on supporting incoming and existing Black and African American students with access to programs offered by the CCL. Some of the programs offer scholarships to high-performing Black high school seniors into Dominican.
Students attending this year’s Black History Month celebration said they loved going to a great space to spend time with friends. They also encouraged for the creation of more spaces celebrating Black culture.
Maria Herrera, a sophomore majoring in secondary English education, said she hopes Dominican will work their way into bringing Black students closer to the university’s community.
“I am definitely happy to see events like these here, but I do think it is the first of many steps we can take to really integrate the Black community into Dominican’s community,” she said.
There will be more upcoming events celebrating Black History Month. Dr. Su’ad Abdul Khabeer, an associate professor at the University of Michigan, and Dr. Jonathan Calvillo, an assistant professor at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, will speak about hip-hop and faith on Feb. 21 at the Martin Recital Hall.
