Nubian Message, Feb. 17, 2022- With Love

NUBIANMESSAGE NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY | RALEIGH, NC | THENUBIANMESSAGE.COM | Thursday, February 17, 2022

With Love

Thursday, February 17, 2022 | 2

Letter from the editor

Tim Havens Correspondant

Hey y’all, As we breeze past Valentine’s Day we can manifest love in our lives by thinking about some of our favorite Black couples: Randall and Beth from This is Us, RaeShanda and LaShondra Lias-Lockhart on TikTok, and Elikem and Y/N (iykyk).

In this edition we highlight three Black faculty and staff: angela gay-audre of the African American Cultural Center, Markita Briggs of the Women in Science and Engineering Village, and Dr. Simpson of the College of Sciences. They all discuss the importance of being Black and in their positions of power on campus.

We also do a highlight of the women’s basketball team from the past two weeks. We even had the chance to cover the grand opening of the HERMonies art gallery collaboration between the AACC and the Women’s Center.

THISISSUE 4

WORK AND SCHOOL AS A BLACK WOMAN

An interview with Markita Briggs

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MEDIA PAGE

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CREATING SPACES TO BE FREE

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NC STATE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Feel the love

An interview with angela gay-audre

Pack still on top with 3 ACC games left

cover photo BY Natalie Folsom/ Staff Photographer Nubian Message staff photo. Back row (left to right):Tim Havens, Andie Alford, Arana Blake, and Ugonna Ezuma-Igwe; Front row (left to right): Elikem Dodor, Austin Modlin, and Milan Hall.

Check out our media page where we have a Valentine’s Day playlist and a poem from Elikem. Look out because Elikem’s in love y’all…

The Sentinel of the African-American Community at NC State Since 1992

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Remember to love yourself AND somebody else.

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Bye for now…

Andie

Andrea/ Andie Alford (They/Them) Editor-in-Chief

nubian-editor@ncsu.edu Elikem Dodor (She/Her) Managing editor

nubian-managingeditor@ncsu.edu Arana Blake (She/They) Layout designer

Only with the permission of our elders do we proudly produce each edition of Nubian Message: Dr. Yosef Ben-Yochannan, Dr. John Henrik Clark, Dr. Leonard Jeffries, The Black Panther Party, Mumia A. Jamal, Geronimo Pratt, Tony Williamson, Dr. Lawrence Clark, Dr. Augustus McIver Witherspoon, Dr. Wandra P. Hill, Mr. Kyran Anderson, Dr. Lathan Turner, Dr. M. Iyailu Moses, Dokta Toni Thorpe and all those who accompany us as we are still on the journey to true consciousness.

Feature

Black History Month Around The World Black History Elikem Dodor Managing Edtor Month (BHM) is a

month dedicated to educating and celebrating the African diaspora and their contributions to society.

BHM originated in the United States but it is also observed in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland The predecessor of BHM was Negro History Week. Created in 1926, the second week of February was selected to be Negro History Week. The second week was specifically chosen due to the connection between Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, Feb. 12, and Frederick Douglass’ birthday, Feb. 14. Both of these birthdays were said to be significant to the Black community and had been celebrated together since the late 19th century.

Carter G. Woodson is credited as the "Father of Black History” and being the driving force behind the creation of Negro History Week. Woodson created an organization called the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History which led to the creation of and support for Negro History Week.

In 1969, Black educators and the Black United Students at Kent State University joined together to propose a Black History Month. A year later in 1970, the first BHM celebration took place from Jan. 2 to Feb. 28.

During the celebration of the United States Bicentennial in 1976, President Gerald Ford recognized BHM. President Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history."

In 1976, Texas A&M University AfroAmerican professor, Albert Broussard, instituted BHM at Texas A&M. Broussard advocated for this teaching of Black history, saying “Oftentimes Black history is taught as a celebration of this great man or this great woman, but that wasn’t what Woodson had in mind. He wanted this time to be a celebration of the achievement of Black people as a race, recognizing that Blacks were part of the history of this country from the very beginning.”

The United Kingdom first celebrated BHM in Oct. of 1987. It was also noted that 1987 marked the 150th anniversary of Caribbean emancipation, the 100th

anniversary of the birth of Marcus Garvey, and the 25th anniversary of the Organization of African Unity. BHM in the UK was organized through Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, a Ghanaian analyst who served as a coordinator of special projects for the Greater London Council.

The first BHM in the UK was a part of the African Jubilee Year, a year to mark the contributions of Black people throughout history. This was done in conjunction with Addai-Sebo’s plan to recognize contributions of African, Asian and Caribbean people to the economic, cultural and political life in the UK. While the plan for the African Jubilee Year was to recognize more than just Black people, the community rejected it saying “Black History Month UK does not support the use of the term ‘Black’ to refer to all people of colour in the UK, and has criticised institutions for supporting Black History Month with images of people from British Asian backgrounds.”

In Berlin, Germany in 1990, the Black German community began observing BHM. Their observation has included discussions about Black Europeans, international African perspectives, the history of civil rights in the US, and apartheid in South Africa. These events have spread to other German cities.

Canada officially recognized February as BHM and honored Black Canadians in 1995. The Canadian Senate unanimously approved and recognized BHM in 2008.

BHM in Canada is currently defined as “the achievements and contributions of Black Canadians and their communities who... have done so much to make Canada a culturally diverse, compassionate, and prosperous country.”

In Ireland, BHM was initiated in Cork, the second largest city in Ireland, in 2010.

The location was said to be appropriate due to it being a leading center of abolition in the 19th century. In 2014, it was expanded into a nationwide event. BHM is celebrated in the month of October in Ireland.

These are not all of the countries globally who celebrate BHM. Some countries do not “officially” celebrate it but hold various programs and events to educate their citizens about Black societal contributions.

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HERMonies: Black Activism in Music Andie Alford On Tuesday, Feb. Edtor-in-Chief 15, 2022, the African

American Cultural Center (AACC) and the Women’s Center hosted a grand opening reception for their joint gallery. The gallery is entitled “HERMonies: Black Sounds, Black Voices, Black Movement.”

The exhibition opened with the Uninhibited Praise Gospel Choir (UPGC) who sang “Stand Up,” as adapted from the 2019 movie Harriet.

Bri Elum, Assistant Director of the Women’s Center, and Isaiah Lucas, Program Coordinator of the AACC, introduced the theme of the exhibition through a speech about the importance of Black women throughout time. Elum stated that Black women have always been at the forefront of the Black Power movements, especially through songs and artistry.

“...Black women have always been at the forefront of the Black Power movements...”

The AACC and the Women’s Center curated a gallery of ten musical women whose works were instrumental in moving Black people forward through times of struggle and injustice. Some of the women who are highlighted are Noname, Nina Simone, Queen Latifah and Miriam Makeba.

The audience was given 15 minutes to experience the exhibit which included biographies, art pieces, portraits and songs, which were linked through Spotify.

This time was used for meaningful reflection, education and conversation.

After coming back to the larger group, Lynette Barber came to the stage as Mahalia Jackson and sang three selections, closing with “Soon I Will Be Done.” Along with the songs, Barber also told us about Jackson’s involvement with the Civil Rights movement and her impact on Black history. She said that Jackson was a businessperson who contributed financially to the Civil Rights movement and also used her voice to lift the spirits of the protestors.

Once Barber finished her performance, Elum and Lucas hosted a question and answer session about how they came up with the idea for the gallery. They talked about how their inspiration came from the concept that music should be listened to critically and should be reflected upon as part of its time period. Lucas told us his interpretation of “Mississippi Goddam”

by Nina Simone and how he felt that it was highlighting the frustrations that we all feel when going through racism and discrimination in the deep South.

Elum said that while it was important to talk about her experience as a Black woman professional, she also wanted to put students who frequent the Women’s Center and the AACC in the conversation. She said that the students are the ones who will be visiting the gallery, so their opinions on the cultural importance of those Black singers should be at the forefront. This is how they chose the ten women that are highlighted in the gallery.

For the last part of the Q&A, Elum played a portion of “Song 33” by Noname and led a small discussion on its cultural significance. The song excerpt discussed the mistreatment of Black women activists, the disappearance of Black women, the killings of transgender women and the oppressive nature of the Black patriarchy.

After the question and answer session, the event closed with another selection

by UPGC, which was “Oh Freedom.”

The audience was invited to stay for a few minutes if there were any artists they did not get to interact with during the program, but they were also heavily encouraged to return to the gallery to get a fully immersive experience.

HERMonies: Black Sounds, Black Voices, Black Movement will be available for viewing and interaction through Mar. 15, 2022, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the AACC Gallery on the second floor of Witherspoon. It is highly encouraged that you bring a smartphone and a pair of headphones to engage with and enjoy the music of the exhibit.

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Feature

navigating work and school as a black woman Ugonna Ezuma-Igwe Staff Writer

Nubian Message had the privilege of speaking with Markita Briggs. She is the graduate assistant (GA) for the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Village at NC State. She is also currently pursuing her Master's in Higher Education (Ed) Administration through the Poe College of Education. We were able to sit down and speak to her about her experience as a Black woman working at NC State.

area you go into, or just in your personal life and your own personal endeavors. It's beautiful to see young people be who they are without feeling pressure from the ones that they know love them, but may have certain desires or dreams or goals that they don't want for themselves. So now they have the chance to go do what they want to do and I think that's beautiful.

NM: What was the most shocking part about working at a Predominately White Institution (PWI) versus your experience of attending a PWI?

Nubian Message: What brought you to NC State?

Markita Briggs: So I'm originally from Columbus, Ohio, I was born and raised there. I thought going to a different geographic location would be beneficial for me to kind of get a sense of what higher college education looks like in a different area in the United States. I went through the recruitment process for the Higher Ed administration program through [Pack Preview]. And honestly, the faculty for the graduate school [and] for the Higher Ed program and then some of the people that I got to do my interviews with for my different GA positions. It was really the Black women that I encountered during my process … it just made me feel safe in that regard and just seeing other women that look like me prosper in their roles. So that's kind of what made me come to stay… that comfort that I felt, not only just from the program, and other general faculty and staff that I spoke to but specifically the Black woman that I had encountered during my process.

NM: So you would say that the current Black faculty members/staff members have had an impact on you and your experience?

MB: Definitely, Dr. Gayles, she's absolutely amazing. She's very well respected in the field of Higher Education.

She's been great and impactful … one of the things that my previous supervisor did for me before departing from the university [was made] sure that I was connected with Black women on campus … And there [are] Black women that work in that office (College of Sciences), that check on me.

I go to lunch with them, they check and see how I'm doing in my GA [position] …

So that's been really, really helpful. Then there's also another woman that works

Contributed by markita briggs

in the Women's Center, she and I have become friends…We're able to talk about everything from our jobs to our personal beliefs and values. So very, very supportive.

NM: As an employee have you been able to find resources and support?

MB: For me, just because I'm a grad student, I don't even know if I've technically thought about it that much.

Because I've had to focus so much on my studies… I know that I have been supported in my role. That’s because I have a supervisor that understands the importance of Higher Ed and having people be represented… My employer has allowed me to do that (create spaces for women of color), which in return has been fruitful for me because I get to pour into younger people that look like me, but they also pour into me at the same time. So I personally do feel supported. I do feel there has been an opportunity for me to let my concerns be known and implement things that I would like to see for people that look like me or similar [to] other populations of color.

NM: Do you feel your presence has been influential on the Black student community at NCSU?

MB: I would hope so. I'm in this field because I'm a woman of faith, I really do believe in God-given purpose and living your life with the intention of helping and blessing others. So one of the things that I love about my field is the fact that I get to work with young adults during the time of their life when they're developing and becoming the people that they want to be.

I think I still have a ways to go to see longterm what my impact will be.

NM: You previously worked as a high school College Advising Manager, how does that experience compare to working at College with students?

MB: One of the reasons why I actually went to make this switch back to the higher ed side in terms of actually being to a college campus is because I think that there is something beautiful about being able to encounter individuals or students when they're out of their parent or guardians… supervision, they get to be their complete cool and authentic self. So I think that's one thing that's similar to high school is [that] you're in this one hub of an environment in terms of like an educational hub, where you're trying to find your place.

It's different because you're at a different age where you're really about to set yourself up to go out into society and make a difference in whatever field or whatever

MB: I feel like it kind of goes hand in hand. When you are attending PWI you can feel like a small fish in a big pond, or you might feel like you're an outlier. I was really big on putting myself in spaces where I had [a] community. And then I would honestly say I do the same now, as a student and as a professional. They're going to be rooms in certain spaces where I might be the only person of color or the only minority or only female. What keeps me balanced is the fact that I have been able to find a community where I feel seen, which is similar to what I did in undergrad.

I would definitely say for sure having those safe spaces that I had in undergrad is the same thing I do now to make sure that I feel safe and have a place where I can fit and be my authentic self. And my full authentic self is as a Black woman.

NM: What tips/advice would you give a Black woman who's interested in going to school and working in academia?

MB: When your capacity is not there, don't force it. You really cannot pour from an empty cup. You have to be the best version of yourself in order to be the best version for whoever it is that you're serving. So if you don't have the capacity, take a mental break and turn your phone off, put it on silent. There's nothing wrong with you taking a step back and saying that I need time for myself. At the same time, you have to balance by knowing when you have to show up and be present, even when you don't feel like it because there are people that need you.

Full article on website.

Opinion

Ain't Nothing Better Than You

V-day playlist by Nubian Message Staff

Happy Valentines Day Graphic by Kyle howe

Running (to you) Marceline

chike, Simi Willow

Me and my husband

Mitski

wild irish roses

Smino

Outstanding sure thing hold you

The Gap Band Miguel Gyptian

by your side

Rod Wave

Stand by me

Ben E. King

fall for you

Leela James

Sunny

Bobby Hebb

Candy Rain

Soul for Real

No ordinary love sweet love really love

Thursday, february 17, 2022 | 5

Sade Anita Baker D'Angelo

You were among the first pages of a new chapter A catalyst for change A breath of fresh air Forcing breath into my lungs Because baby, You are the breath in my lungs, The air that I need Filling me with warmth and life With just enough to feed my desire for more More life, more happiness, more love, more everything You made me realize that maybe things could be different That maybe pain is not the standard That this warmth may never go away That everything I desired was already mine That you were already mine You, you, you You are more captivating than you’ll ever know Your joy, thoughtfulness, patience, and determination Your contagious laugh and your bright smile Your whack jokes and random car facts Every single piece of you From the many locs on your head To your colorful sleeves and your lovely leg Oh how I love you And ain’t nothing better than you You are the ‘06 to my ‘13 The ice to my fire My lover and best friend My confidant and personal roadrunner And I truly hope that this will never end

-Elikem

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Feature

Creating spaces to be Free Austin Modlin Being a Black student at a PWI is Staff Writer

no small feat by any means. Our very existence here is living proof that the struggles of those who came before us were for a reason. The trials that our ancestors had to go through against racism and the many systems that hold it in place have proof of their validity through us. However, that doesn’t mean that the work that they’ve done is finished. There are still systems that are made to make sure that black people won’t even have a fair chance to get into white-dominated spaces, and to try to push them out of these spaces if they do make it in.

This is where the importance of Black staff on campus comes in. They continue the work of those that came before them.

Being one of few Black students on this campus, it can be hard to not feel alienated or for imposter syndrome to creep its way into one's mind. But seeing the Black staff every day, from the workers at the dining halls to professors, reminds one to keep going, that they do belong.

On Friday, Feb. 11, at 6 p.m. Nubian Message sat down with angela gay-audre to ask how they feel about their position as a Black staff member at NC State. Angela Gay-Audre is the director of the African American Cultural Center. She was the assistant director of the Women’s Center prior to her new position where she launched several initiatives including the Gender and Equity Research Symposium as well as the Womxn of Color Retreat.

Nubian Message: What do you feel your impact is as a Black faculty member at NC State? angela gay-audre: My politic is quite centrally located on freedom. It is literally the only thing I care about. Having it being the only thing I care about means I have to care about everything that can get us there. That means that people, that means that systems and processes. The things that stand and the things that need to be deconstructed and rethought. It means being in conversations and dialogue with people, having a deep knowing, and moving beyond the surface. The way that I do that is through womanism and black feminism.

One of my sole goals in the Center was to create spaces for people to think about how they can be free. Having people being able to see themselves fully in an authentic way. Knowing their power, building that power, and asserting that as leadership, joy, or whatever they needed to catalyze that into in order to make movement in their own lives. That’s still my work but I don’t get to engage in the same way here. Due to how hierarchical it is. I have often been seen as a space that people came to when they were challenging themselves, wanted accountability, or just someone to listen or show support.

“One of my sole goals in COntributed by angela gay-audre

NM: What has been your biggest challenge as a Black faculty member at NC State?

AGA: It’s whiteness everyday, and when I say whiteness I’m not talking about white people. I’m talking about white supremacy, I’m talking about whiteness as a belief system. I’m talking about whiteness in a way in which people are thinking about themselves solely rather than thinking about everyone else around them. A belief system that makes people think that there can only be one at the top and that means that everyone has to be oppressed. Those things are really challenging to my spirit, I am very non-hierarchical. That’s a problem for me. Because that’s not liberation, that’s not a choice.

NM: What brought you to NC State?

AGA: For my Ph.D. in the Educational Leadership Policy Human Development Program. I came to NC State to do a doctorate and then I started working. So that’s why I came.

NM: How do you feel your presence influences the black community on NC States’ campus?

AGA: I don’t know. It’s interesting because I haven’t seen all the black community. I haven’t been able to engage with everyone in a way I would’ve liked or in a way that I would like. We are in a really interesting place in the African American Cultural Center. I can speak to this from the perspective of the Womens’ Center for sure, pre-pandemic. I knew what my work did in that space, so I can speak to that. But for the here and now, the Cultural Center is kind of like a limbo space. So all these folks just came together. I spent a year hiring, now we are entering a year of forming, norming, and storming. And we had to hit the ground running.

Administratively as a director, I sit in too many damn meetings. That’s another challenge. Sitting in meetings means that you can’t really do the work. You don’t get to make the impact that you want to do. You don’t get to be in a thought partnership. Also, this is a decentralized space. Talley has food, it has resources.

Witherspoon can feel like a ghost town sometimes. I don’t get the opportunity to sit with students the way I’d like to, and understand who they are, what they need, and the ways they want to be engaged. So I can’t fully answer that question from this perspective, but I think about what I did in the Women’s Center.

the Center was to create spaces for people to think about how they can be free. ” -angela gay-audre NM: What could NC State do to help grow an inclusive, diverse community?

AGA: Mean it. The community is already diverse, there’s nothing they have to do. Nobody has to do anything about increasing diversity other than looking outside of the channels that they already look in. People are diverse, even white folks. But when it comes to increasing diversity it's not necessarily the diversity we’re increasing, it's increasing and creating a space where students who are typically underrepresented, students who are minoritized, students who are marginalized and are rendered through the margin. Create a space where they can see themselves at NC State, enrolled at NC State, retained at NC State, and graduate NC State. Perhaps even seek higher education at NC State. So the inclusion part is the essential part. It allows these students to feel like they have a space here, a home here, an intellectual community where we can thrive. Not just survive but thrive, make waves, and form a community.

Feature

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Pack still on top with 3 ACC games left North Carolina State women's basketball team remains the leader in the ACC with 3 games left until conference tournament play. The Wolfpack leads the ACC conference with Tim Havens 14 wins and 1 loss over Staff Writer 2nd place Louisville Cardinals, who have 13 wins and 1 loss.

The Wolfpack holds the advantage in a potential tiebreaker if the teams finish conference play with the same record after NC State beat the Cardinals earlier this season.

If the Wolfpack can hold their lead in conference play they secure the number one seed in the ACC tournaments allowing them to be automatically advanced to the quarterfinals. It would also be the first ACC regular-season title the university has won in 32 years.Winning the regular season would add to the historic run that NC State's women's basketball team has been on the last couple of seasons.

Needless to say, William Neal Reynolds Coliseum is the place to be as the Wolfpack attempt to achieve the regular-

season conference title. The energy in the Coliseum is electric and the team is great, what more could you ask for?

On Monday, Feb. 3 the team participated in Play4Kay, an annual tradition honoring the esteemed Wolfpack Women's basketball coach during which the university raises money for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

NC State was able to fend off 11th ranked Georgia Tech in the 17th edition of the play for Kay. The crowd and teams wore pink following the theme of the event which raised $324,087.75. This game served as a good rebound for the Wolfpack coming off a tough loss to Notre Dame the previous week.

The following game would see the Wolfpack travel to Massachusetts and battle Boston College in a close game. The Wolfpack were in danger of being upset by unranked Boston College, but battled to win a tough game behind Guard Diamond Johnson, who scored most of the team's points in the second half. Towards the end of the fourth-quarter NC State’s Elissa Cunane made a free throw to give them a two-point lead and what looked like the win until Boston College made a late layup that sent the game into overtime. In overtime, Johnson scored 6 of her 22 points

to carry the Wolfpack to a win. Guard Kai Crutchfield, Forward Kayla Jones, and Guard Raina Perez also scored in overtime to help NC State win.

The team then went on the road to defeat Duke University by a score of 77-62.

When asked about their team's performance against Duke, Coach Moore said “ it’s nice to have a veteran team. You know we were down the stretch and I went with the veterans. They just kept making plays, making shots and I’m gonna miss them. Might be a good time for me to retire… again I’m blessed to be able to work with these young ladies for sure.”

And when questioned on where the team could improve Moore said, “if we are gonna get to an elite level we have to do better on the offensive boards (rebounds). I’ve been doing this a long time. I've seen a lot of national championship caliber teams… and they get extra possessions. They find a way to get to the offensive boards… we’re not there, we’re a work in progress.”

Not every question focused on the positives as reporters challenged Coach Moore on why the team has trailed at halftime of 5 of the last 8 games, “Yah know I was thinking maybe we need to get out the night before… we gotta put

four quarters together… we’ve had our moment… I don’t know, maybe I’m doing something wrong.”

Jakia Brown-Turner was asked about the pride the team takes in being the best in the triangle region after sweeping Duke and UNC and said “It's my first time sweeping both teams, it's very important to me and I’m just happy we were able to do it.”

When asked about the team's ability multiple players score every night Raina Perez said “I think it’s important knowing all of us can score which makes a defense struggle.

The Wolfpack have had another great season but will need to improve in order to attain their ultimate goal of winning a national championship. They may be able to make comebacks against the tough but inferior conference opponents but it’ll only take one poor performance to be eliminated from the NCAA tournament in March.

The Wolfpack have 2 more home games this year Feb. 17 against Wake Forest and Feb. 20 against Syracuse before ending their season on Feb. 27 on the road against Virginia Tech.

The importance of having Black FaCulty and Staff Arana Blake In the spirit of Black Correspondent history month we.

Nubian Message, feel that while discussing all things Black, that it is important to highlight and celebrate our Black faculty and staff here at NC State.

On Feb. 14, 2022, Nubian Message sat down with Dr. Jamila Simpson, who is the Assistant Dean for Inclusive Excellence for College Of Sciences.

Dr. Simpson was the first Black person to graduate from NC State with an undergraduate degree in meteorology. She also received her Ph.D in science education from NC State. Currently Dr. Simpson has worked for the College of Sciences Dean’s Office for thirteen years, and she has just been honored by Governor Cooper as a Black leader in STEM. While working for the dean’s office Dr. Simpson has helped create and sponsor many programs and organizations focussing on diversity and equity. Some of these programs include the Sciences Senior Diversity Banquet, the Sciences

Student Ambassador Program, The Society of Multicultural Scientists (SMS), and the Sciences Diversity Workshop.

Nubian Message: What do you feel your impact is as a Black faculty/staff member at NCSU?

happen we want to be there for students in those situations, but we also recognize that there are systemic barriers that need to be addressed. It is challenging to be there for both of those things at once.

NM: What brought you to NC State?

Dr. Simpson: I think that everyone needs to see a reflection of themselves and others in all spaces, and that includes higher education. I hope that my presence at NC State shows students of color that they can do great things. I also feel that part of my role is to show all communities that Black professionals are part of the fabric of NC State. NC State should look like the world.

DS: When I was a student, the meteorology major brought me to NC State. However, when I arrived, I met an amazing supportive African American college community (including my mentor, Dr. Wandra Hill) that helped me graduate.

As an adult, the support I experienced while being a student at NC State brought me back. I want to give back and be the support for students as well.

NM: What has been your biggest challenge as a Black faculty/staff member?

NM: How do you feel your presence has influenced the Black student community at NCSU?

DS: I feel like the biggest challenge is supporting students in environments that need systemic change. When things

always have a community that supports them and people who will fight for them.

I hope when students see me, and my colleagues, they know that we are aware of and part of Black history on this campus.

DS: I hope my presence, and that of my colleagues, let students know that they

“I hope my presence, and that of my colleagues, let students know that they always have a community that supports them and people who will fight for them. ” -Dr. Simpson

The Freedom to Dream: Re-Rooting, Re-Imagining, and Reconnecting our Black Communities Join us as we focus Black History Month on student connection and community building through events meant to foster spaces for students to reconnect with their peers on campus.

FEB 15

HERmonies: Black Sounds, Black Voices, Black Movement

FEB 22

TikTok TED Talk

FEB 25

Karaoke Game Night

FEB 25

March Like Martin

View the full events details at go.ncsu.edu/bhm