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Part of Commemorating with community, February 14, 2019

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Black Student Union
and African Student
Association celebrate Black
History Month
ALEXANDRA MOYEN ·
STAFF WRITER

The Black Student Union, African Stu­
dent Association and the Student Associa­
tion are looking to spread awareness for
Black History Month this February.
BSU President Ayenoumou Barry said
club leaders said they want to make Black
History Month a bigger deal at UB with
different mixers and exhibits. , The club

hosts celebrations each year, but this time
BSU wanted to do something different and
reach out to those in the community. BSU
plans to work with Medaille College and
their after-school program that helps high
school students reach the college level.
''We're really trying to have a panel with
[Medaille College students], to meet with
the kids and maybe even bring our gen­
eral body along with us or have it here ....
This Black History Month will be focused
on a month of service to the community,"
Barry said.
BSU is also looking to do more com­
munity outreach by hosting a dinner event
called "Cooking
with BSU"
and volunteer.
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organize local trips.
BSU recently moved their planned trip
to the Niagara Falls' Underground Rail­
road Heritage Center to March. Barry
said she was upset that their trip had to be
pushed past Black History Month.
"Buffalo has a lot of history within it. A
lot of students don't realize that there's a
lot of sites around Buffalo that were a part
of the Underground Railroad," Barry said.
ASA's goal is to have general body meet­
ings and collaborate with other black UB
clubs ·to bring awareness to black culture,
according to ASA president Aniya Turner.
"Our focus is that we partner with a lot
of black clubs on campus, whether it's
the National Society of Black Engineers,
BALSA, which is a black law chapter here
and also BSU," Turner said.
She also hopes to have a panel with each
club to talk about the struggles black peo­
ple face in the U.S.
SA is holding events every Wednesday
for Black History Month, as well.
SA held a Black History Month exhibit
on Feb. 13. O n Feb. 20, SA will have a
mixer and dance workshop and it will also
hold a "Soul Food Luncheon" on Feb. 27.
ASA will also take part in the Black His­
tory Month Mixer and D ance Workshop.
The club's African dance team will teach
traditional dances and inform the public
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about African culture.
The UB Libraries will also have a cus­
tomized section of books for Black His­
tory Month in Lockwood Library.
The display features a range of books
about the civil rights movement, black
female leaders, autobiographies of civil
rights leaders such as Malcolm X and oth­
er 1960s-era Civil Rights events. A picture
of civil-rights activist Angela Davis can be
seen by the selection of books. Davis will
speak at UB through the SA-sponsored
Distinguished Speakers Series on Feb. 27.
Turner said people will recognize Black
History Month as something important
because UB community members are tak­
ing the initiative to celebrate it.
"I see an increase in effort and in raising
awareness for Black History Month and
this is just a start with their Black History
Wednesdays coming up," Turner said. "I
feel like that is a good way to start."
Turner said that she has seen an increase
in Black History Month interest compared
to previous years.
"I feel like they didn't start before, but
this year they're starting to and that's a
good step in the right direction."
email: features@ubspectrum.com