Black History Month started the first Thursday of February, calling for a wave of celebrations across IU.
For four decades running, The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center has brought festivities and light to Black History Month, keeping up with its annual Black Knowledge Bowl on February 21. This tradition mixed academics with fun and games, as attendees engage in a lively jeopardy style questionnaire. From questions about Black history to their culture, students from all backgrounds participated in a night of friendly competition.
Joa’Quinn Griffin, a senior at IU and event attendee, revels in the camaraderie of the event, enjoying the opportunity to have friendly competition with his friends.
The center has been a huge success for IU, with a record of 40 plus years, and a thriving faculty members and students. Many find this center to be part of the reason for choosing IU.
In a campus atmosphere where the Black student population hovers at 4.26%, spaces like the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center provide a home away from home, offering a sense of belonging. Gloria Howell, Director of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, sheds light on the importance of these fostering connection and community.
IU senior Joa’Quinn Griffin and Director of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, Gloria Howell, answering a question and answer about Black History Month.
But the celebrations don’t stop there. IU took on a new event this year, The Kick It, a collaboration between the City of Bloomington, the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, and the Black Film Center and Archive. This innovative honores and celebrates Black cinema by previewing clips from fan-favorite Black cinema movies, intertwined with the communal share of meals, showcasing how food brings their community together. Cinema, food, and the arts are crucial in Black culture.
Held at the Indiana Memorial Union in State Room East and West, the event was lit with laughs, tasty foods, and captivating cinema. Gloria Howell and Shatoyia Moss, Safe & Civil City Director, collaborated to come up with the idea to end Black History Month on a good note, and thus, the Kick It was born.
Both Howell and Moss we’re pleased with the outcome of the event, looking to pursue a future in the Kick It.
With this being the first year hosting The Kick It event, Moss has high hopes of furthering this event into something even more significant. She adds that she wants to carry this event on to other heritage months, such as Women’s History Month, by showcasing clips from Women in cinema.
Shatoyia Moss, Safe & Civil City Director explaining how the Kick It event was born.
Both the Kick It event and the Black Knowledge Bowl events were free admission and open to the public.
The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center along with other organizations around IU work hard to create a sense of belonging where the Black community can find comfort in the Black student population.
Gloria Howell, Joa’Quinn Griffin, and Shatoya Moss all encourage and welcome all to be part of each center around IU, not just today or during Black History Month, but everyday forward.
Visit the city’s website to learn more about Black History Month in Bloomington. To learn more about this particular month at IU, visit the events calendar website.
