February is Black History Month, and it is important to recognize and celebrate everything that the Black community means to UT and beyond. This month, there are tons of events taking place that are open to everyone on campus to attend.
There are events nearly every single day for students, faculty, and staff to attend, with both virtual and in-person options. A full calendar list of events is also available for campus members to view so that everyone can decide which events they would like to attend.
There are two events in particular that the campus is getting excited about, and they are both hosted by student organizations. It’s always exciting to see our own students take charge in celebrating such an amazing month in history!
Black and Boujee
The Black Musicians Alliance (BMA) is hosting the Black and Boujee concert on February 17, where all student musicians get a chance to showcase their musical talent by performing music composed by Black artists that inspire them.
“The idea for this event came from our two founding presidents, Clara Princeton, and Josie Campbell,” said Lauren Goldston, current BMA president. “They wanted to give Black musicians an opportunity to play pieces by Black composers because the standard repertoire of college music often lacks people-of-color composers.”
All students, faculty, and guests to the campus are welcome to attend. The event will also be live-streamed on the School of Music website.
“Admission is free, however, there will be a tip jar for the performers as well as a donation drop-off for the Keenan Grimes Community Outreach Center,” said Goldston. “We accept all new toiletries, clothes, food, and blankets as well as monetary donations.”
Students that would like to showcase a piece of art are welcome. They can fill out the google form in the BMA Instagram account bio (@UTKBMA) and upload a picture/video of themselves to audition.
“This is a great opportunity to enjoy and appreciate the amazing accomplishments Black artists have done in the arts with other people,” said Goldston.
Love and Consent
On February 21, Sophisticated Queens Unafraid and Driven (SQUAD) is hosting their Love and Consent discussion in the Frieson Black Cultural Center.
“Love and Consent is a discussion about dating as a young adult in today’s society and discusses topics such as consent, dating, and love,” said Cidaea Woods, graduate research assistant, and advisor of SQUAD. “I am hoping that people walk away with an understanding of healthy ways of dating as a young adult.”
SQUAD is dedicated to creating a sense of belonging and community primarily for but not limited to women of color on campus. They do this through identity exploration, student engagement, community service, and professional development.
The event is co-sponsored with SQUAD’s brother organization, Brothers United for Excellence (BUE), which allows for an in-depth discussion from both the perspectives of men and women.
You can learn more about SQUAD on their Instagram page.
Elizabeth is a senior from Philadelphia, PA, majoring in public relations with a minor in business management. She has a passion for graphic design, social media and writing, and her favorite thing to do at UT is attending football games with her friends. She plans to move to Nashville after her graduation in May to pursue public relations and marketing.