From guest speakers to pageants, the African American Cultural Center and the Office of Multicultural Affairs celebrated black culture through January’s Martin Luther King Commemoration and February’s Black History Month celebrations.Past speakers like former Black Panther Party for Self Defense member Angela Davis and movie director Spike Lee reminded the audience to be proud of black culture and the progress its made.Davis, who was also a former suspect on the FBI’s most wanted list, said in her January speech progress can still be made. “Racism has not ended because a black man holds the highest office in the land, and a black family is in the White House,” Davis said.Lee, who spoke at Baton Rouge Community College in January, encouraged the audience to break negative black stereotypes.Lee said young men needed better role models like President Obama rather than “gangster rappers.”Cerise Edmonds, Office of Multicultural Affairs coordinator, said the focus on black culture may be stemming from the inauguration of the first African-American president.”Part of the great emphasis on black culture this year is mostly due to the inauguration of the first African-American president,” she said.Also, Jeffrey Ogbar, associate professor and Director of the Institute for African-American Studies at the University of Connecticut who spoke to students in February, said hip-hop was a political platform that is one of black culture’s contributions to American society and influenced the January elections.The MLK celebrations included a performing arts nights at the School of Music.”Its not color, but talent, that brings us together,” said Paige Chenier, human resources and leadership development sophomore and co-team leader of the MLK Committee.The African American Cultural Center used its February “Image of Beauty” event to show the need for positive change in today’s beauty standards.Niya Blair, African American Cultural Center coordinator, said she hoped the event helped people see Black History Month as American history.”The program really showed that Black History Month is everyone’s history because of the issues women were talking about and discussing,” Blair said. “There were some commonalities among different nationalities.”However, the Febraury Imani pageant stood out most for Blair.Imani is the Swahili word for “faith”, which is one of the seven Kwanzaa principles.”It incorporated so many different parts of history,” she said. “It stands out a little more to me because of the excitement seen and felt from the people who attended.”Patrick Carriere, biological sciences junior and Mr. Imani 2009, said he was going to have the deepest faith possible.Winners of the Imani pageant exhibit leadership, scholastic achievement, commitment to community and faith, Blair said.The Office of Multicultural Affairs arranged the MLK celebrations while the African American Cultural Center organized Black History Month.Edmonds said the celebrations for next year will be similar, but the keynote speakers and locations will vary.—-Contact Victoria Yu at [email protected]