February celebrates Black History Month, and LSU organizations such as the Black Student Union, the LSU chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Society for African and African American Studies have a month full of plans.
“February is always the time where there’s an abundance of activities,” said political science and African American studies senior Angel Puder, who serves as the president of LSU’s NAACP. “There’s always a chance for you to experience what Black LSU is like and what goes on there. I think it’s just important to see what other people are like, same as whenever it’s Asian Pacific Islander Month, Hispanic Heritage Month.”
The NAACP will be collaborating with the Society for African and African Americans and the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated for their Poetry Night on Thursday, Feb. 9, at the Hill Memorial Library.
History graduate student Justin Martin is the president of the Society for African and African American studies. He said the poetry night they have planned will showcase local Black poets and also reveal the Wyatt Houston Day Collection.
The Wyatt Houston Day Collection is a collection of notable pieces by Black poets that were recently obtained by LSU. It will include works from the 18th century through the 21st century and pieces from the Harlem Renaissance.
“I think that students are always looking for opportunities,” Martin said. “Especially every now and then you’ll have a movie or a book that’s a big breakthrough that people are thinking, ‘How can I understand more of these different Black traditions that exist and also just get to know communities that might be kind of different than what you’ve experienced prior to being here on campus?’”
To further celebrate Black History month, the Society for African and African American Studies is also starting up its book club again for the spring. Its first meeting will be on Friday, Feb. 3.
Puder said a major part of Black History Month is the Image Awards put on by LSU’s NAACP.
The NAACP Image awards honors students for their accomplishments and also faculty members in the African and African American studies department. The award ceremony will take place on Feb. 23.
The Image Awards has a week full of events, starting on Monday, Feb. 13, with the Image Awards Table Sit in Free Speech Plaza from noon to 2 p.m., where students can come and learn more about the awards and get a look at the nominees.
On Tuesday, Feb. 14, the NAACP will also be hosting the African and African American studies student and faculty panel with the Society for African and African American studies in the Student Union from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. where they will share information about the department.
On Wednesday, Feb. 15, there will be an Art Night for the Harlem Renaissance Award recipient where people can go and see works from the era.
The Image Awards Ceremony will be hosted at the Barnes Ogden Art Gallery with a Harlem Renaissance theme. There, they will be awarding excellence in “Black activism, art, style, culture and representation at LSU,” Martin said.
Political science and international studies sophomore Lailah Williams is on the Black Student Union Political Outreach Committee and serves as social chair for the Society for African and African American studies and the director of program and initiative for Geaux Vote.
Williams was a recipient of an Image Award last year and said that it’s going to be “a great event to celebrate Black students who have been achieving and accomplishing, as well as Black faculty members.”
The Black Voters Expo will take place in February, where the Society for African and African American Studies, Geaux Vote and the Black Student Union will collaborate to educate about the importance of voting, especially for the Black community, Williams said.
She said they will explain what their vote means in the grand scheme of today’s political landscape and what their vote can do when they go to the polling stations. Student’s rights when voting will also be discussed.
“For Geaux Vote in particular, we have a meeting every other Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in Hodges, so students are welcome to come, hear our plans for the rest of the semester and get involved in what we’re doing, because we have a lot coming up to get students registered for the 2023 elections here in Louisiana,” Williams said.
