In just a few days, with the end of February, Black History Month will conclude across the nation. Over the past month, various campus and community organizations celebrated Black History Month in various ways.
The Office of Intercultural Life aimed to support events hosted by student cultural organizations, Knox academic and staff departments and the local community by promoting and collaborating with these organizations, Assistant Director of Intercultural Life Yasmine Davila said.
The Office of Intercultural Life, Center for Career Success, and Office of Advancement most recently hosted a Black Professional Panel event on Feb. 22 that provided food from local Galesburg Black-owned business Next to the Salt.
The event itself offered free professional headshots opportunity for students, and a panel of Knox College Black-identifying staff members who presented how they navigate the professional landscape, the transition from student to professional, and other personal and professional experiences that lead them to higher education.
“Intercultural Life has worked with student leaders and groups to gather more engagement in attending the plethora of community events they were offering as students were still working on launching programs,” Davila said.
There is also a display in Seymour Library featuring Black and Pan-African Revolutionary literature that will be up for the entire month of February.
The purpose of hosting these events is multifaceted. Events for Black History Month “help build community amongst our student community, provide ways for campus community members to continue learning about Black History and provide opportunities for our students/fac(faculy)/staff to engage with the broader Galesburg community,” Director of Intercultural Life Tianna Cervantez said.
The Support Group for African American Affairs (SGAAA) has also been meeting at Knox College and is led by Knox’s Director of Disability Support Services Stephanie Grimes and TRIO Associate Director Brandi Grimes.
The SGAAA, in collaboration with several community organizations, put on several events for Black History Month as well, such as several movie showings at the Orpheum Theatre and a fundraiser for the SGAAA at The Vault here in Galesburg.
The NAACP Galesburg also organized several events this month, including book discussions, open youth skate at Skate Palace, and a Black History Month trivia night.
“There are also a variety of other events spotlighting, featuring, and celebrating Black/African diaspora culture, history, and current community-specific impacts hosted by other organizations and departments that are also still going on. All of these events were also featured in the most recent edition of HOPE Center newsletter,” Davila said.
