Black History Month at Alfred State College

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Written by Demere Brave

       With the month of February being completed, people took the time to reflect on their past month. Whether it has been good or bad, we could all agree, that we have put it aside for the importance of Black History Month. We used this month to celebrate iconic African Americans and their impact on the world. Two examples are Barack Obama, as he was the first African American president of the U.S., and the famous Martin Luther King Jr, who was known for making strides towards equality for all of humanity. Although we may not make as big of an impact as these two men did, we still celebrate the demanding work that they have done. Alfred State has hosted a “Student of Color Leadership Conference.” The importance of this is that while it was open to any student of Alfred State, speakers of color came to network and got to know the students which showed a sense of unity during Black History Month. Next, was a “Freedom Banquet” in which everyone got together to have a meal which was important to the month because it gave us a chance to connect with each other and celebrate the month that Barack Obama and Martin Luther King Jr fought for us to have. Lastly, the Caribbean Student Association, a club here at Alfred State, is actively participating in Black History Month. CSA President Brian Blemur, in an interview with me, stated that “The Point of CSA is to spread awareness about the Caribbean culture.” I agree with Brian’s statement about spreading awareness and that he is doing the right thing for CSA. A key event Brian mentioned that was also held was a viewing of “Selma” with MLK. Brian says that it has “opened his eyes to the history” that African Americans have faced. With all the events that have taken place here at Alfred State, it can be said that the community tried to show passion regarding Black History Month.