The word “rebirth” was displayed around the Binghamton University Union for the Black History Month kickoff event, hosted by the Black Student Union (BSU) and co-organized by the Multicultural Resource Center (MRC), titled “Rebirth: Black Liberation Out of the Ashes.”

Krista Hall, BSU’s vice president and a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, and Josef Thompson, BSU secretary and a junior majoring in systems science and industrial engineering, designated a concept to each week of Black History Month — the first being deconstruction, the second, reconstruction, the third, rebirth and finally, joy and perseverance. Pamphlets that featured students’ art, poetry and writing were handed out as guests arrived, including a message from Hall that expressed the group’s choice of theme.

“Our history is a cultivation of false structures that define who Black people are, that define our terms of success, our terms of happiness and livelihood and our terms of our failures,” Hall wrote. “However, this changes now.”

The festival, held in the Mandela Room, spilled out into the Tillman Lobby where attendees participated in activities like hula hooping, painting, basketball and board games. Soul food, including macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, pasta salad and fried oreos cooked by BSU members, was offered after a celebratory toast honoring the start of Black History Month.

Hall explained the motivation for holding the event in a broad space.

“I wanted to take up the entire Tillman Lobby because I feel like our events are put [into] rooms,” Hall said. “And we’re more than just a room.”

Four awards were presented by Hall and Thompson, recognizing persons and organizations who exhibited attributes related to the event’s theme. The first award, titled “Spirit of Deconstruction,” was given to the first female president of the BSU, Deborah Gray White. While White was not present to receive her award, her mention prompted applause throughout the audience. The next award, the “Spirit of Reimagination,” was granted to the Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program (J.U.M.P. Nation), an organization that seeks to decrease high school dropout rates, who were thanked for their widespread community service.

A third award — the “Spirit of Reconstruction” — was granted to the MRC, who aided the BSU in the planning of the event. The “Spirit of Rebirth” award was given to an individual who exemplified revival, and who was affectionately nicknamed the “new-day Renaissance man,” Mikal McKay, also known as MiKelangelo.

McKay, a senior majoring in English, discussed the inspiration around his poetry.

“Black joy, really — I felt like a lot of times I was writing about Black trauma, especially because of the year of 2020, a lot of stuff was going on with George Floyd, and a lot of stuff with police,” McKay said. “So many people walked up to me and were just like, ‘Oh, I seen your poetry, I heard your poetry.’ So, you know, getting this award just really meant a lot to me.”

Azzaré Haughton, BSU educational coordinator, organizer of dance team “Black Transcendence” and senior majoring in human development, as well as Micah Jumpp, Schwarzman Scholars recipient and second-year graduate student in the geography program, were both also presented with awards.

“The BSU wouldn’t be anything without Black students who take up space on this campus,” Thompson said. “We really do appreciate you all.”

Hall and Thompson asked guests to write down anything that hindered them from being themselves on a piece of paper, which would later be added to biodegradable balloons and released outside. After finishing, guests were invited to enjoy the activities and food for the remainder of the event.

Seeing her community celebrate with each other is what inspired Yubilet Rios, BSU’s public relations coordinator and a senior majoring in psychology, most in the event.

“Just like seeing everyone that looks like me together in one space, because we do go to a [predominately white institution], sometimes you go into a classroom, and you don’t see people that look like you and you get intimidated,” Rios said. “So just being together as a family and just celebrating us as a culture is really inspiring and seeing other people happy and enjoying themselves and making new friends and making new connections.”

Khalimah Owens, a sophomore majoring in economics, said attending the event was a matter of solidarity.

“I just wanted to come out to support the Black community,” Owens said.

Another attendee, Racquel Whittingham, a sophomore majoring in nursing who joined BU as a transfer student, described the supportive and enlightening environment the BSU had provided her with after arriving at BU.

“Ever since I came on campus, [the] BSU has always been a great place for me to show up,” Whittingham said. “I like that they’re having this event to have everyone just come together during this month and show pride.”

The Black History Month kickoff is one of the BSU’s many events planned for Black History Month. The organization has planned numerous functions for the month of February, such as the Separate and Still Unequal General Body (GB) on Feb. 17 and the Black Excellence Awards Brunch on Feb. 27. Students can find updates on the BSU’s Instagram page, @BSU1968.

Editor’s note (2/19/22): The initial text of this article wrote that Micah Jumpp was the organizer of “Black Transcendence” rather than Azzaré Haughton. Micah Jumpp is a Schwarzman Scholars recipient. Pipe Dream regrets the error.