Photo by Emma Quirk ‘26. Students chat at the Black History Month Opening Event around a round table with food and drink.
By Emma Quirk ’26
Publisher & Photos Editor
Lively conversations between students, faculty and staff erupted from the Blanchard Hall Great Room while celebrating the commencement of Black History Month. The opening event, “Unity Through History: A Journey of Black Excellence,” was sponsored by Mount Holyoke College's Association of Pan-African Unity and the Office of Community and Belonging.
Taking place on Feb. 1, the event began with Latrina Denson, the associate dean of students, community and belonging, welcoming attendees, speaking about the significance of Black History Month and reading the land acknowledgment. Members of the APAU board then presented this year's theme of “Celebrating Black Excellence” and events to look forward to for the rest of February.
Each week of events is themed: Week 1 was “Black Excellence in Wellness,” featuring events such as a “Web of Identities: Unraveling Black History Month in Into the Spider-Verse Zine Workshop” and a “Mindful Movement Yoga Symposium.” Week 2, “Black Excellence in Social Movements,” includes a panel called “Voices of Resilience: Black Professors in Higher Education,” a movie screening of “Moonlight” and a talkback with FAMILIA titled “All About Queer Black Love.” “Black Excellence in Community” is the theme of Week 3 and features the annual Black History Month Gala. The final week’s theme of “Envision Your Black Excellence” includes a presentation called “Study Abroad while Black” and “Black Culture Jeopardy Night.”
“The BHM Gala is an event not to miss,” Fatou Barry ’24, co-chair of APAU, said in an interview with the Mount Holyoke News. “There will be food, music, dancing, performances, and a keynote speaker.”
After sharing details about these programs’ offerings and more, everyone sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the “Black National Anthem.” Adjoa Baidoo ’24 was invited to speak, and they gave a vibrant toast over non-alcoholic sangria. Attendees were then treated to hors d'oeuvres catered by the Willits-Hallowell Conference Center.
While eating, the APAU began leading everyone in a discussion activity, asking attendees to converse about four questions with four different groups of people in the room. These questions were: What does Black Excellence mean to you? What figures from Black History have inspired you the most and why? What role do you think art plays in reflecting Black history? And what individual ways do you celebrate Black history?
Overall, the event “was a success and truly a great celebration,” according to Barry.
On Mount Holyoke’s campus and beyond, Black History Month holds a great deal of significance. “Black History Month symbolizes a collective dedication to honoring the struggles, triumphs, and cultural contributions of Black individuals throughout history, while also advocating for racial equity and social justice in the present and future,” Barry said. Students, faculty, staff and other community members can join APAU and the Office of Community and Belonging in their upcoming events to celebrate.