February is Black History Month, and the U will be hosting several events this month to celebrate it.
This year’s theme, as determined by the founding organization of Black History Month, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, is “African Americans and Labor.”
“Black History Month at the University of Utah is both a celebration and a declaration of resilience, innovation and the undeniable impact of Black communities, past and present,” an article on the month from @theU reads.
Events for Black History Month
The majority of events taking place this month are organized by the Center for Community and Cultural Engagement (CCE). Many of these events have been in collaboration with other offices and organizations on campus.
LeiLoni Allan-McLaughlin, the director of the CCE, discussed this collaboration.
“Different offices, for example the library [or] there’s a few sororities that are doing some Black History Month events, our office comes in and partners with them to make it a university-wide event,” Allan-McLaughlin said.
For example, the CCE, in collaboration with the University Counseling Center, hosted an event called Black Joy on Feb. 11. The event explored “the history of Black joy and its connection to mental health.” It also included line dancing and free refreshments.
Another event hosted in collaboration with The Divine Nine, a group of historic Black Greek-letter organizations, is called The Power of The Divine Nine. This event, which took place Feb. 12, was focused on the impact sororities and fraternities have on community engagement and loyalty to institutions of education.
“We have a hair love workshop, which is going to be educating on the culture and history of Black hair,” Allan-McLaughlin said. “And then we have an express yourself drop-in, which is kind of like a Wellness activity for Black History Month.”
Allan-McLaughlin continued, “Everyone is welcome to attend any one of these events, it is not exclusive to any community.”
Another event, Douglass Day, is Feb. 14. This day is built to honor the life and legacy of Frederick Douglass. It’s also made to encourage participation in the preservation of Black history. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m, you can participate in the event at the Marriott Library by transcribing historical documents.
Later this month is a Black History Month Community Social. On Feb. 20 from 6 to 8 p.m the event will take place on the sixth floor of the S.J. Quinney College of Law.
To learn more about the events happening during Black History Month, visit @theU or CCE’s website.
Importance of Black History Month
President Donald Trump officially recognized February as Black History Month in a proclamation Jan. 25. However, the proclamation came just days after he issued an executive order to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government. In response, the Department of Defense canceled observances of cultural heritage months, including Black History Month, Women’s History Month and Pride Month.
The U saw its own restructure of DEI programs last summer after HB261 shuttered several campus resource centers and the Center for Equity and Student Belonging.
These political changes have left the future of Heritage Months uncertain. However, Allan-McLaughlin reaffirmed the university’s commitment to honoring Black history.
“Aside from politics, Black History Month has been celebrated at the University of Utah for decades,” Allan-McLaughlin said. “And it is something that we will continue to do because it has impacted our education in a lot of ways.”
Allan-McLaughlin highlighted the essential contributions of Black individuals to the education system and the importance of recognizing their influence. Through ongoing programming and discussions, the university aims to create a space where Black achievements are acknowledged and celebrated.
“Black people have contributed to our education system, and we honestly just highlight that history and that culture to bring our communities together to show those efforts when historically they haven’t been recognized before,” she said.
