The Office of Multicultural Affairs, Campus Life and the African-American Cultural Center hosted its 26th annual Harambeé Thursday night in the Student Union Theater, featuring performances from several student groups and a keynote address from LSU alumna Maxine Crump — the first African-American woman at the university to live in a campus residential hall.
“It’s definitely a traditional program that the campus anticipates every year,” said Director of Multicultural Affairs Chaunda Mitchell. “It’s an opportunity for us to welcome our new students to campus and hopefully connect to some of our returning students while we give them an inspiring message and performances from their peers.”
The Harambeé event has evolved since its debut on campus 26 years ago. The Harambeé transitioned from a faculty and staff networking social and separate student performances into a celebration the entire LSU community can attend and enjoy, Mitchell said.
Planning for the event began in early summer, Mitchell said, as the Office of Multicultural Affairs worked with Campus Life and the African-American Cultural Center to organize the program.
The night opened up with a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by the LSU Gospel Choir.
Elementary education sophomore Charlene Martin said she felt proud to be performing in an event that has been around for so long.
“I feel honored that we’re doing it,” Martin said.
Other performances included the Legacy Dance Crew, the Capital City Capoeira Dancers and the Caribbean Student Association.
The highlight of the evening was the keynote address delivered by Crump.
Crump, the president and CEO of Dialogue on Race Louisiana, was one of the first African-American students admitted to the university. Other firsts include being the first female radio DJ in Baton Rouge and the first African-American female reporter for WAFB-TV.
Crump said she hoped to bring a dose of reality to the students through her address. She said she believes that students now have a very glamorized view of those who helped desegregate LSU.
“I want to get across to them that these were students just like them, who stepped into this treacherous arena, not knowing what to face,” Crump said. “[They] broke the color barrier for them, and they need to not just sit back and enjoy it, but to engage in the change themselves because by far, racism has not gone into extinction yet.”
The night ended in the Student Union Theater Reception Room and Lobby with the Harambeé Café, where attendees socialized with performers and met members of other student organizations.
“There’s a lot of welcome events, but then students need to hear those positive messages throughout the semester, and so I think that Harambeé is one small way to make that happen,” Mitchell said.