The 100 Black Movement has been a trend among black communities at various HBCUs, first starting as 100 Black Men In Suits, then incorporating 100 Black Women In Dresses.
Black University students gathered together for the 100 Black Movement yesterday at the Greek Amphitheater at 4 p.m.
The movement was created as a form of activism started by two Prairie View A&M University students.
“It was a challenge designed to promote awareness that African-American young men can unite to create a positive impact,” University business management senior and event coordinator Chase Warner said.
The challenge serves to show a side of African-American culture that is not typically documented, said junior Reginald Singletary, president of the Baylor NAACP chapter.
Students congregated at the Greek Amphitheater dressed to impress. Individual and group pictures were taken of men and women — first separately, then together.
Warner said African-American men from Stephen F. Austin, Prairie View A&M, University of Houston and Lamar University have also posted photos of themselves in suits, united against negative generalizations and violent stereotypes.
Being that the event is more prominent among HBCUs, LSU NAACP president Monturious Howard said he and Warner felt it was even more necessary to host the event at a predominantly white institution.
“We want to share in the movement with our HBCU brothers and sisters and spark empowerment in not only people on this campus, but outside the campus as well,” Howard said.
TV and film senior Oluwaseyi Bamgbola said there were representatives from almost all black organizations on campus.
“The significance was to get black student leaders to come together and show solidarity about the image that is made of black youth in the country and to prove stereotypes wrong,” Bamgbola said.
Bamgbola said he feels the event served to create positive dialogue about the black image and how far the black community has come.
African and African-American studies freshman Zuwena Esterling said that although not as many people came out as she would have liked, the event went well.
“I think the significance of the event was to show people that we’re more than just college students. We’re activists in a sense, and we actually care about what’s going on in our communities,” she said.
Interdisciplinary Studies senior and event photographer Mark Landry said he took on the project to support the black community, especially after the Alton Sterling shooting which occurred over the summer.
“I think these photos will bring positive images of black youth to the forefront,” Landry said.
The 100 Black Men In Suits and 100 Black Women In Dresses hashtags have been trending on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram since the start of the semester.
Howard said he hopes to contribute to the movement with these images and bring greater awareness to black people’s successes rather than their downfalls.

Gallery • 18 Photos

Haskell Whittington

LSU business management senior Chase Warner (left) and African and African American studies and political science senior Monturios Howard (right) organize the 100 black suit and dress challenge Monday Oct. 17, 2016, in the LSU Greek Theater.