Saint Xavier University will be celebrating Black History month by hosting ten events in February. The Department of Campus Life has partnered with the Black Student Union, Saint Xavier Council and University Mission and Ministry to bring students activities to commemorate this month.
The opening ceremony took place on February 3 at the Butler Reception Room with a lecture by Prophetess Brunette Cross-Calbert on the origins of the African-American Church and the role she played in it.
There will be two movie screenings as part of the celebrations. On Wednesday, February 5 the film 42 will be shown in the student lounge, and on Thursday, February 20 The Express will be shown in the student lounge as well. The movies respectively recount the life of Jackie Robinson and Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.
Laura Lamb, the Associate Director of Campus Life, says the event she is looking forward to the most is the trip to The DuSable Museum of African American History on Saturday, February 15 because she has never been there. The trip is being sponsored by the Department of Campus Life. It is not the only trip planned for this month; on Friday February 21 Saint Xavier Council is sponsoring a trip to see Clybourne Park, a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning theater production, at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Both trips are free to Saint Xavier Students.
There will also be a Poetry Jam hosted by Saint Xavier Council in McGuire Hall on Thursday, February 13 at 7 p.m. Student can attend to hear poetry by local poets and Saint Xavier students.
On Sunday, February 16, at the McDonough Chapel there will be a Student Mass and Social. The event will celebrate the first black Catholic Priest in the U.S. and open the cause for his canonization.
The Black Tie Affair hosted by the Black Student Union will cap Black History Month on February 28. Starting at 7:30 p.m. the event will highlight African-Americans who had an influence on music.
According to Lamb, Campus life has partnered with other Saint Xavier organizations to celebrate Black History Month for many years. It has become an annual partnership.
Typically, these events get a good turn out of twenty-five to fifty students depending of the nature of the event. This year, however, many events attract more students. Many students were excited about the trips and movies that are being offered this year.
Although Black History Month is meant to recongnize the important people and event of African-American history it remains a controversial celebration.
Amanda Tzivas, a sophmore commuter student, says, “Although it is a sign of progress when Black History Month is celebrated, it’s important to remember that black history is a part of American history and it should not be constricted to one month out of the year.”
The significance of singling out a month to celebrate a group of people in the United States may be counterproductive to race equality to some, but it will not stop students from partaking in this year’s Black History Month celebrations at SXU.
David Rodrigues
News Editor