The University stands today as a blend of cultures, races and minorities, but it was not long ago when the campus lacked such diversity.
Students, faculty and staff are celebrating Black History Month in remembrance of those times. For Black Faculty and Staff Caucus President Randy Fontenot, those stories are close to his heart.
“My father graduated from Grambling; his diploma reads Grambling Colored University,” Fontenot said. “At one point he tried to come to LSU but was denied. This happened not because of his work ethic, but because of his race.”
Fontenot said his father also experienced difficulty attaining a job as a postmaster.
“He was turned down because he was an African-American,” Fontenot said. “And that was in the late ’60s. Racism is still around today, it just looks a little different.”
This year marks the 36th anniversary of Black History Month. The celebration grew out of a 1926 weeklong observance called “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of historian Carter Woodson.
Every president has declared February as Black History Month since Gerald Ford in 1976. The United States isn’t the only country to celebrate, though. Canada and the United Kingdom, among other nations, also celebrate the month.
A series of lectures celebrating Black History Month at the University drew to a close this week with a lecture titled “Afro-Cuban Diasporas in the Atlantic World,” presented by English professor Solimar Otero.
But the University’s Black History Month festivities will continue until March 3, with the College Reunion on the Parade Ground.
“College Reunion showcases African-American culture through music, dance and spoken word performances,” said LaKeitha Poole, coordinator of African-American Student Affairs. “We expect Southern and BRCC students to also be there as in previous years. It will bring the whole community together — three college campuses, not just LSU students.”
Jared Williams, communication studies sophomore and Black Male Leadership Initiative fellow, said Black History Month transcends race.
“African-American history is American history,” Williams said. “The people involved in making black history were Americans, they just happened to also be African-Americans. This month is important to more than one demographic.”
Williams said in his experience, students don’t learn about black history in school.
“I really didn’t hear about black history, except during Black History Month,” Williams said. “The month is a rare occasion to highlight the achievements of the African-American community.”
Campus is alive with several African-American representative groups year-round, including the Black Male Leadership Initiative and Student Government’s Black Caucus.
“It is really about becoming better leaders and better people,” Williams said about the Black Male Leadership Initiative.
 
____
Contact Joshua Bergeron at [email protected]