By Audrey Bosse: February 2024
The month of February is often centered around romantic love, but at Missouri Baptist University, there is a newfound focus on love, belonging and the celebration of Black History this month.
Black History Month presents a unique opportunity to learn through conversation and foster community.
The MBU Student Life Team has taken advantage of this opportunity through intentionally designed events.
Taira Schertz, assistant dean of student engagement and director for Residence Life, strives to ensure the Student Life Team designs programs catered to all students.
“Our Student Life Team is a very diverse group of people. Getting all of their opinions and the voices of the students that they’re friends with is a really good way to create programs that all students are interested in,” Schertz said.
For February, the team planned typical monthly events, then added elements to celebrate and create conversations around Black History.
The first of these events was Grocery Bingo, a student favorite that is regularly played with a random assortment of food prizes. Instead, the February prizes included products from Black-owned businesses in the St. Louis area.
A variety of Black-owned businesses were highlighted, such as Pop-Pop Hurray!, OG4 Christ, Northwest Coffee Roasting and Pearlie’s Pickles.
Madeline Wozniak, a freshman education major, attended the event and recognized the value in celebrating local Black-owned businesses.
“I think it’s important to showcase Black-owned businesses because it brings awareness. If people taste the food or try the products, then they will probably like it,” Wozniak said. “This means they’re going to go and support those businesses even more outside of grocery bingo. It helps with representation and awareness.”
Students were exposed to businesses and products they may not have otherwise tried.
Daniel Creighton, a student-athlete and resident assistant at MBU, said exposure to and celebration of Black history is valuable to everyone.
“There is a lot of beauty in Black culture, and if you don’t take time out to recognize it, you do a disservice to those who are not exposed or familiar with it,” Creighton said.
This awareness and familiarity for students is important with Black-owned businesses, and it is just as important with everyday interactions.
One way MBU Student Life encourages students to interact with diverse cultures is through Multicultural Monday events.
Each month, Multicultural Monday celebrates a different culture through food, activities, music or conversation.
This event was particularly impactful in February, as students participated in a roundtable discussion about Black history.
The discussion covered big questions surrounding Black identity, culture and how we can live well together.
It was facilitated by Taryn Johnson, a student life leader, as she asked questions to open up discussion.
The questions covered a variety of topics that allowed students to build relationships and learn.
Johnson said the conversation surrounding different cultures is important.
“I believe that the base of any relationship revolves around communication. I think that if people learned about each other and their history, you can start to see that person and even the world in a different light. Talking to people from different cultures and backgrounds will open new horizons,” Johnson said.
Creighton also emphasized the importance of open communication in conversations about Black history.
“I think it provides an opportunity to learn from each other and better understand the different struggles that our nation has had in the past. We need to have open dialogue with each other so we don’t repeat the same mistakes from the past that have caused so much damage,” Creighton said.
This discussion was intentionally designed to open doors, demonstrate inclusivity and build understanding.
At their core, MBU Student Life events show students that they belong, they are loved and they are genuinely celebrated.
“I think it’s great to honor people of all different races and ethnicities and we try to do that through our events. I think Black History Month is just a great opportunity to acknowledge the great things that different Black individuals have contributed to society,” Schertz said. “I think sometimes that might get lost, and having the time to set apart to celebrate them is a great opportunity for us to all learn from them.”
In addition to Grocery Bingo with Black-owned businesses and the Multicultural Monday Black history discussion, students traveled to the Missouri History Museum for a presentation about the Tuskegee Airmen and participated in the Association of Black Collegians Gala.
