Students showcase research on freedom, wellness to kick off Black History Month

The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center organizes a First Friday Family Dinner every month, but this month NMBCC decided to do something different.

In honor of Black History Month, the NMBCC worked with the Black Graduate Student Association to organize the first Scholars Research Symposium.

The Research Symposium allowed some of IU’s black students to showcase their research in the fields of freedom and wellness.

“The idea was to showcase what black students were doing on campus and to show students were thriving academically,” NMBCC Director Stephanie Power-Carter said.

The students presented their research in the NMBCC Bridgewaters Lounge, where students, faculty and staff gathered to view the work.

It gave students an opportunity to come together and network, Power-Carter said.
Leighton Johnson, an IU senior and the IU Student Association Chief of Diversity, Inclusion and Advocacy, said he felt inspired.

“It’s refreshing for students who look like me and come from the same background as me to showcase their ambition,” Johnson said. “The African-American scholars displaying their research set a good example for the underclassmen. We’re role models, lifting as we climb.”

Junior and administrative worker at the NMBCC Nichelle Whitney  said she appreciated the opportunity and the effect the Research Symposium could have on underclassmen who attended the symposium.

“It gives undergraduates a chance to connect with graduate students and potentially connect with a mentor,” she said.

After the hour-long symposium, the First Friday Family Dinner began.

The dinner took place in the NMBCC Grand Hall, and the students were served a meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans while a stand-up comedy special
performed.

This event is only one of the many events the NMBCC will organize during Black History Month.  

It coincides with the NMBCC Black History Month theme, “Let’s Move! Freedom and Wellness in a Civil Society.”

This event, like many others which take place this month, aspired to encourage the IU community to be active and reflective.

“It was a light and fun way to kick off Black History Month,” Whitney said.

Follow reporter Javonte Anderson on Twitter at @JavonteA.