Joey Abrams ’22

Chief News Editor

This year, Black History Month comes at the crux of incremental campus victories and nationwide unrest. The past two years of COVID-19-conditioned living have only served to intensify, expose, and prioritize the struggle of Black America as structural issues come to light and existing questions demand new answers. Any number of protests, police shootings, and political pundits testify to the larger reckoning that America continues to have with race and the black community specifically. 

In the midst of this tension, communities across the country are hosting events to once again highlight structural changes that need to be made, as well as celebrate black culture and black communities. The College of the Holy Cross community is no exception to this month-long dedication, with a long list of lectures, games, discussions, and gatherings planned to commemorate this year’s Black History Month. Many students, following Saturday night’s paint night and Thursday’s “W.E.B. Du Bois and Black American Medievalism” lecture by Cord Whitaker of Wellesley College, have already begun engaging with the events both as active learners and creatives. The weekly Hogan Lobby booth started up last week as well, and members of the Black Student Union will be answering questions, talking about their work, and engaging in black culture every Monday this month from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m..

However, the second half of the month proves to be even more eventful than the first, with everything from film screenings at Seelos Theater to scavenger hunts and spoken word performances prepared. The first of these events comes on Feb. 19 with the Black Student Union scavenger hunt, which will include locations across campus that are particularly significant to black populations. Starting at Crossroads, the scavenger hunt will run from 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Following the weekend’s scavenger hunt, the Black Student Union will also host a “Love is Blind”-inspired event on Wednesday night with members of the organization as well as attendees. 

The following night, Seelos Theater will be screening the gripping film “King Richard,” a movie released late last year that follows the story of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams and their father, Richard, who worked tirelessly to provide opportunities for his daughters. Friday kicks off the weekend strong with another one of the more artistic events planned: “A Night of Spoken Word with FYEONA”. Here, the Office of Student Involvement and Boston spoken word artist FYEONA join forces to provide writing workshops and performances of spoken word to attendees. Participants who would like to participate should attend the writing workshop at 6:30 p.m. in Crossroads, with the performance following at 9:00 p.m. 

The month will conclude with a pair of more serious events, including a celebratory worship service and community supper to commemorate the life of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. This remembrance event will occur at 4:30 p.m on Feb. 27 at Mary Chapel. Finishing out the month will be a fantastic visit from the great Janus Adams, an Emmy award-winning journalist, historian, entrepreneur, and bestselling author. Adams will give this month’s keynote address on the black condition and experience on Feb. 28 from 7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. in the Hogan Ballroom. This event will also be livestreamed.