Questions about what it means to be cisgender, monogamous and abused were plucked from the jar and discussed at length. Hands at each table reached out to grab the little glass jars with white pieces of paper in them. Individuals slowly opened their selection, looked down and read the question aloud, but not everyone knew the answer.
“Black Love, Sex and Everything else” took place at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Neal-Marshall Grand Hall. Students and professors gathered to discuss love, sex and racial issues.
Mostly African American students and faculty filled the room. Food like Baked! of Bloomington cookies were available to lighten the mood and get people talking. Each of the round tables had a black cover, clear jars with discussion topics in them and raised flashcards that read “Fact vs. Myth” in red and black.
Kristen Petty, junior and undergraduate staff at Neal-Marshall, was one of the two event organizers. She was supported by event volunteers.
“I started working here the beginning of the school year,” Petty said. “This is really the biggest event I’ve been allowed to put a lot of input in.”
For Petty Neal-Marshall is like a home away from home.
“With the stress of school you always want to be around people that look like you and go through the same struggles,” she said. “At the end of the day you just want a sense of belonging.”
The inspiration for the event came about after semesters of students visiting the black culture center and talking about their sexual knowledge, myths and consent.
Petty said with Valentine’s Day right around the corner it is always best to have conversations about safe sex.
Not all the attendants were frequent visitors to Neal-Marshall as Petty. Sophomore Tyshaonae Hamilton said she doesn’t come to Neal-Marshall as often as she would like. However, Hamilton said there was something special about this event.
“The topic of the event seemed really interesting,” she said. “I like how it’s a discussion based event that lets you listen to people’s ideas.”
The discussion groups allowed people to see and hear everyone at their table , which allowed conversation to flow. This was done on purpose because Petty said it’s up to organizations and individuals to open the way for discussions.
The round tables also served Hamilton well because she said she was interested in hearing people talk about issues that aren’t always easy to talk about.
Deveny Rhem, a junior, was one of the most talkative people at her table.. She said she visits Neal-Marshall about three times a week because it’s her favorite place to study.
“Freshman year I didn’t know much about the place, then I had to do a project about it my sophomore year,” Rhem said. “Then I realized how awesome it was and started taking advantage.”
The advantages of Neal-Marshall go beyond a comfortable work environment, Petty said. Organizers of groups like the Community Capacity for Prevention & Education, wanted to provide as many resources as possible.
“We have the IU CAPS, sexual assault counseling services, LQBTQ+ Cultural Center, CCPE, and the School of Public Health,” Petty said.
The different organizations gathered at various sections of the hall, distinguished by their display table, tri-folds or flyers. Ann Skirvin and a few assistants represented IU’s Counseling and Psychological services who were invited by one of the organizers.
“We were invited here and are very happy to be here to support Mohammed, one of the liaisons to this event,” Skirvin said. “I think it’s a great idea for a event to be talking about sex, love and everything in between.”
