USC held one of its final Black History Month celebrations Thursday at Founders Park.
Gavin Champ, USC student and event organizer, said events like this allow Black faculty and students to gather and celebrate a month that highlights their own history.
“It just means a lot, because it brings Black people together,” Champ said. “And to know that there is a safe place for them to be able to go means a lot.”
Throughout Black History Month, USC has made it clear who and what they were celebrating throughout the month of February with signage and events held throughout campus marking the annual observance.
“Now, more than ever, Black History Month remains relevant, because it sets aside time for us to learn and reflect upon the ways this history highlights the ideals and failures of the U.S. experiment with democracy,” said Eliane Bell Kaplan, USC Dornsife Professor of Sociology. “Through social movements and political and cultural traditions, the Black community has engaged notions of freedom and equality since its founding.”
For Aris Carter, an engineering student at USC, Black history is important to uplift because it is part of our nation’s story.
“I just think about understanding Black culture and Black history and American history, because Black history is American history,” Carter said. “So whenever I think about Black History Month, I just think about remembering the struggles of our people, and understanding where we come from and where we have to go.”
The celebration, advertised as having “free food, live music, and swag,” accomplished that and more with attendees indulging in a series of dancing, eating, singing, jump roping and intense games of corn hole.
USC student Mariam Darboe said she was drawn to the celebration not for the free food and games, but to “celebrate Black art, Black creators.” Darboe said she was happy with the day’s celebration, but she believes that there was more the university and students could be doing to celebrate the month.
“I feel like USC as a school could do more,” Darboe said. “I think there’s always room for improvement, but I think that specific departments within USC, like the Alumni Association, certain departments like that have been working really hard, and I think it’s very much acknowledged, but I think that USC as a whole, as a campus, could always go harder.”
Darboe said she encourages any students wishing to get involved to visit the Center for Black Cultural and Students Affairs (CBCSA) and sign up for both their respective school’s newsletters to learn about upcoming events.
“I think it’s really good to be immersed in different cultures, especially in a college scene, because this is one of the few places where you do get to be integrated with different cultures,” Darboe said.
Upcoming events include USC’s Black History Month Party Block on Thursday evening and art exhibition Jayna Dias: Clarity & Opacity.