Students Discuss Black History Month Celebrations on Campus

I’d seen a whole lot of unity, programming, and activities as a chance to get to know other people,” said Petties. “It was the first time I really got immersed in the BSC.” community allows us to share some degree of a collective experience,” she said.

This February, a handful of students of color have been hard at work planning events to celebrate Black History Month in the Davidson community. So far, the Black Student Coalition (BSC), NPHC organizations, and the Black Femmes at Davidson have hosted a wide variety of events, ranging from a discussion on intersectionality to supporting dining workers at Commons. In the upcoming weeks, Davidson students will have the opportunity to enjoy a fashion show, reflect on key historical activists, and the month will culminate with the BSC Gala in Charlotte. All the while, the DuBoisian Scholars, a campus organization that mentors students at West Charlotte High School, will be guiding their high schoolers every Friday through activities in celebration of Black history.

Reflecting on her time at Davidson, Kennedy Petties ‘23, the Black History Month Chair of the BSC, remembers February of her freshman year fondly. “This was the first time that

Now a senior, Petties and other members of the BSC have planned events every week of the month. With similar passion and energy, Ted Pasquette ‘24, President of the Tau Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Inc., has high hopes for his fraternity’s events this month. “We want to make sure that people are very aware of the things going on campus, the Black perspective on campus, as well as the Black perspective across the United States,” he said.

Together, the Tau Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and the BSC will host a fashion show to highlight Black culture this Friday, February 17th, in Union. In hosting events like the fashion show, Petties emphasized that celebrating Black history includes much more than reflecting on the past.

“It’s a time to celebrate us now instead of just what has happened. Being here is an active part of history for a lot of us because there are so few of us at this school, so having that

Morgan Henderson ‘23, President of the DuBoisian Scholars, also hopes to reinforce the value of building community to the students she mentors at West Charlotte, a predominantly Black high school. Last Friday, Henderson shared that, “we made blankets for a homeless shelter to get the kids involved in community service and to stress the importance of helping your local community.” Later this month, the DuBoisian Scholars will orient their lesson plans around Black history as the high schoolers they mentor prepare to transition to college. Henderson emphasized, “whether it’s the history of their life, the history of somebody else’s life, or the history of their family, we’re just opening up and allowing a range of discussions for each person to feel not only comfortable in the culture, but proud.”

While these student organizations have created ample opportunities for the community to celebrate Black History Month, the events do not always see widespread attendance. “I feel like the issue is when we throw events out, it’s just our own circle of people that actually do show up,” said Pasquette. “We just wish and hope that more Davidson students will come out to these events.”

Frank Edong’a ‘25, co-President of the Davidson African Students Association (DASA), similarly explained that, “when we celebrate Halloween, across campus people are dressing differently, so you know something is really happening. Most people know that February is Black History Month, but I don’t really see that activity in the same way. It would be a good thing if we really took this event seriously.”

While many of these student leaders wish for more turnout from the student body, Petties expressed gratitude for the administration. She said, “I appreciate that the school administration itself is super supportive. They do their best to make sure every event happens no matter what. Doug Hicks has also been personally invested in asking me questions about the month and what we’re up to.”

Importantly, Black identities at Davidson include not only African-American students,