http://digital.lib.buffalo.edu/upimage/VF_I18F_014.pdf

Media

Part of Solidarity week closes on high note Unity march, November 11, 2005

Text

Solidarity week closes on high note
SPECTRUM

11/1/05

By MAGGIE ROBINSON
Staff Writer

On Monday they filled
the Student Union, chant­
ing, "U-N-I-T-Y,""P-O-W-ER" and "P-R-I-D-E." They
marched from the Union
to Capen Hall and back to
spend the rest of the day
with performances by
the gospel choir, the step
troupe and a series of other
activities that started Black
Solidarity Week with a pas­
sionate show of student
voice.
"It was one of the largest
turnouts in the past three
years," said Tricia Gran­
num, Black Student Union
president and a senior
communication major. "A
lot of people celebrated by
wearing black clothing and
black ribbons with green
and orange beads on them.
It was a very, very good
day."
Black Solidarity Week
comes to a close Friday at
7 p .m. in the Wilkeson Cof­
fee House with Harlem
Night, the last in a week of
events that included meet­
ings, speakers, and a semi­
nar Wednesday titled "Mod­
ern Slavery."
The celebration to bring
together and support Afri.
can-American
students
began Monday morning
with LaToya Nettles sing-

Mike Debo I The Spectrum

Students and members of the Black Student Union gather outside of Capen Hall in a kickoff
to Black Solidarity Week to show unity and support in their protest against injustice .

ing the black anthem
and continued with the
long line of marchers that
chanted words of unity.
The celebration continued
when Grannum welcomed
everybody with a poem by
Maya Angelou called, "Still
I Rise." Performances by
various campus groups followed.
"The
unification
expressed by the individu-

als involved was inspiring," said John Schulz, a
senior sociology major.
"It was nice to see strong
bonds among such a longoppressed people."
"Black Solidarity Week is
a week ofunity and togetherness for every man,
woman, child and person
of color," Grannum said.
"It's a week where we can
unite. It's a week where

we can reflect on the past,
present and future."
Black Student Union offi­
dally became an organiza­
tion in 1968 and was the
first club of color to con­
nect the black university
community. It is "designed
to raise the consciousness
of blacks at UB and provide them with some identity and common bonds,"
according to event orga-

nizers.
Like many other organi­
zations, BSU strives to be
involved and provide ser­
vices to help those in the
community, and Black Soli­
darity Week is a part of that
effort.
Durval Morgan, public­
ity coordinator of BSU and
a senior exercise science
major, said this year's Black
Solidarity Week was the
best one in years.
"I feel that people under­
stand that in order for us
to go ahead we must be
together," Morgan said.
As a whole, students
said the entire week is an
important
educatio.nal
opportunity for students
and the Buffalo communi­
ty.
"Iwent to the Black Soli­
darity Week and thought it
was very inspiring,not only
t o college students but also
t o the entire black commu­
nity," said Kwasi Boateng, a
senior biochemical phar­
macology major. "I think
it is an event that must be
attended because it is very
educational."
Grannum said Harlem
Night would be a night of
talent where youth can
come and portray the gifts
they were given in song,
dance, and poetry.
see SOLIDARITY page 2

Unity march
SOLIDARITY from page 1

"It's a night we can pay tribute
and homage to those who came
• before us who paved the way so
we can be the entertainers, musi­
cians, poets and artists we are
today," she said.
Said Durval, "When we are
together, our voices are even ·
louder."
Email: spectrum-news@buffalo.edu

I

\

\

\

\

\