Image courtesy of APAU.
Brie Foster ʼ27 and Thandiwe-Wanjiru Delgado-Kinyantti ʼ27
Staff Writers
Throughout February, Mount Holyoke College and the Association of Pan-African Unity has hosted several events in celebration of Black History Month. This array of events has ranged from keynote speakers to galas to movie nights. During the week of Feb. 18, the College held several events, including an open mic night and a Black History Month gala.
On Feb. 23, 2024, APAU’s open mic night was held in the Blanchard Hall Great Room. The night consisted of soulful performances, which were open to students, with the hope to “pay homage to the rich and diverse history of the Black community,” according to APAU’s Instagram and Embark page for the event. The post continued, “These special performances are a tribute to the achievements, contributions and resilience that have shaped our Black excellence in the world.” In both celebration and reflection, APAU combined music and community to honor Black history.
Following this musical event, the Black History Month Gala, with the theme “Legacy of Excellence,” was held in Chapin Auditorium on Feb. 24. The theme colors were gold and black, and students came in extravagant formal wear, ready to celebrate and honor Black excellence. After opening remarks from students Jada Jackson ʼ26 and Aaliyah Mi Amor Perry ʼ26, Associate Dean of Students, Community and Belonging Latrina Denson gave the Mount Holyoke College Land Acknowledgement. Following the land acknowledgment, the first performance of the night began. Kiera Myrthil ʼ24 opened with a beautiful rendition of the Black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” All members of the audience who were able to stood and watched, and some sang along.
Dinner was served, and students, faculty and staff ate together while photos were taken and the room filled with conversations. Attendees walked from table to table, mingling with their peers. The air was filled with joy and excitement; then, Sangre del Sol came onstage and the audience erupted with energy, with students cheering for their friends onstage.
After a lively performance, the audience settled to listen to the keynote speaker of the night. Exodia Demosthene ʼ18 was the first community advisor — now known as a residential advisor — for the Shirley Chisholm Living Learning Community in North Rockefeller Hall, which is a space for students who are Black-identifying. Demosthene told the audience about her experience at Mount Holyoke, including the ups and downs she experienced as a Black student at the predominately white institution, which inspired her to create the Shirley Chisholm LLC.
After her speech, filled with many laughs and emotional moments, the dance floor opened, and students took photos with each other to commemorate the night. Later that night, the Shirley Chisholm LLC held their first Cookies, Hot Cocoa, Tea, and Conversation Series of the second semester featuring Exodia Demosthene, who came back to her old dorm hall for the first time since graduating.
In an interview with the Mount Holyoke News, APAU board member Dani Darku ʼ27 said, “I really enjoyed working with my APAU mates because it really exposed me to not only the [technicalities of] organizing an event, but the community that comes with organizing such an event…”
Darku continued, saying, “I am really glad that we got Exodia to speak since she was an alum and the first RA of the Rockies. It was just great to know her experience and compare it to us now and see how we can better enrich the Black experience for people on campus.”
When asked how she felt about Black History Month at Mount Holyoke and APAU, Darku said, “I really commend the APAU and my fellow board members for coming up with these unique ideas. I just wish more people came, not just people in the Black community but everyone.” She added that, with other cultural orgs, more people seem to show up for their events whether they are part of that cultural group or not. Darku said she believes she is not alone in feeling this way and ended by explaining, “Black History Month is not just about celebrating Black excellence, but it’s also about this alliance and coalition that we are building.”
When asked how events like these impact Black students at the College, Cami Shadow ʼ27 told the Mount Holyoke News, “Events like these sometimes feel performative, so it makes it hard for Black students to want to go. However, it feels more genuine when events are hosted by the APAU versus Mount Holyoke, and I am more likely to go to events hosted by them.” Shadow continued, “I think there is benefit in [events like this in] building community, and they can make us Black students feel seen, just as long as the right intention is there.”