The University hosted the second celebration of Black Family Reunion on Saturday at the Parade Ground to unite LSU and Southern University in a peaceful family environment.
The idea of the Black Family Reunion came from a book by Dorothy I. Hyatt, which discussed how to strengthen the family.
The message of Hyatt’s book was through a celebration, black families will unite, said Nikki Morrow, Black Family Reunion coordinator.
“We put this together to unite LSU and Southern in a peaceful family environment. We wanted to celebrate the good things LSU and Southern have to offer,” Morrow said.
The event featured performances by local artists, music by D.J. Supa Mike, volleyball, a bungi-run tent and free food and beverages.
“I attended because I’m a supporter of black programs and I try to make as many as I can,” said political science sophomore Brandon Smith.
Nuclear science senior Chris Willis said he attended this year because he liked the relaxed vibe of last year’s event.
Jermaine Watson, manager of the African American Cultural Center, said he is pleased with the development of the Black Family Reunion.
Watson said a student committee scheduled the program for the first time last year.
“We expected 200-300 people, but over 1,000 people attended last year,” Watson said.
Watson said the committee wanted to create an atmosphere that was close as possible to an actual family reunion.
“We chose a picnic setting that allowed students from the two schools to freely interact with each other,” Morrow said.
Smith said he enjoyed himself, but not as much as last year.
“I applaud the people that put the event together. I know some of the people that put it together, and they did a lot of work to produce this event, but this year seemed to go away from a family reunion vibe,” Smith said.
He said the number of live performances took away from the family reunion feeling.
“On a positive note, I was happy they had more things for people to do this year. Last year was a little more than food and music. This year, there were many more activities,” Smith said.
Despite a smaller crowd, Morrow was pleased with the turnout and expects to see a growing number of people each year.
“Next year’s event is going to be bigger and better,” she said.