Today@Sam Article
SGA Celebrates Black History Month
Feb. 9, 2021
SHSU Media Contact: Wes Hamilton
Story by: Mikah Boyd
February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate the culture and perseverance of African Americans. Sam Houston State University’s Student Government Association is providing students with opportunities to take part in the celebration by hosting various events throughout the month.
On Monday, Feb. 8, SGA hosted a Black History Movie Night via Zoom, where students were able to join in and watch “Sylvie’s Love.”
The group also plans to host a small business fair titled “Black Wall Street” for student vendors on Friday, Feb. 12, in the Lowman Student Center Orange Ballroom from 1:30 to 4:40 p.m.
If students miss those opportunities, they will have a chance to participate in giveaways throughout the month, including three books from the Oprah Book Club. Follow @samhouston_sga on twitter for more details throughout the month and to enter the giveaway.
On Feb. 20, SGA will host actor, writer, producer, singer, songwriter, designer, poet, activist and former YouTube personality Tré Melvin, to speak on the struggles and triumphs of being a Black creative.
Melvin is most widely known for his YouTube sketch, parody, social commentary and short-form episodic programming. He has 3.3 million+ subscribers and 500 million+ views worldwide. He left YouTube last May and now has his own streaming service, “Tré Melvin TV.”
SGA President, Jordan Johnson said that Melvin was chosen as the guest speaker for this event because of his reputation for sharing Black excellence. He has used his platform to speak on social injustices while maintaining a comedic tone that provides a feeling of relief to his viewers. SGA believes that having Melvin speak at their Black History Month program will be beneficial to all students, as he will provide insight on being Black in American while also providing entertainment.
Johnson also shared her personal feelings on getting to hear Melvin’s story.
“Hearing his story will be very powerful. Not only is he Black but he is also a member of the LGBTQ+ community,” Johnson said. “His story will be inspiring to students because throughout his career he has not only broken barriers but has also created his own platform to produce and share his own content.”
Johnson hopes that attendees learn more about the Black history and culture after this event.
“With the Black Lives Matter movement making headlines, we want attendees to understand that Black people and culture aren’t only important when we are experiencing pain and abuse,” Johnson said. “Black people always deserve to be celebrated and uplifted and that is exactly what we are planning to do at our program.”
The theme of the Feb. 20 event is the roaring 20’s and participants are encouraged to dress up and compete in the costume contest that evening.
Everyone is invited to learn about and celebrate Black culture. Those interested must RSVP as soon as possible through the links on the SGA social media pages (@samhouston_sga), as space is limited due to campus safety. Each event will promote social distancing as well, and require masks as is standard protocol for all of SHSU’s campus.
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