Special Events at Montclair State University Inspire the Study of Black Heritage

A ceremony on February 1 marked the beginning of Black History Month at Montclair State University, the first in a series of special events, including art and museum exhibits, a film festival, discussion and dance on both the Montclair and Bloomfield campuses – to honor the contributions of African Americans on campus, and the legacies and achievements of generations past.

University police officers served as the color guard for a procession across campus, joined near the Student Center by students, faculty and staff who took part in a midday ceremony that included the ritual of pouring water to honor ancestors of African descent and a powerful rendition by sophomore Arianna Joseph of the hymn “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” known as the Black national anthem for its power in voicing a cry for liberation and affirmation.

Celebrations continue throughout the month with special programming, including a talk with Jennifer Jones, the First Black Rockette; DIASPORA: A Collection of Black Art! Presents “Cookout”; and a documentary screening of Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power. The events are supported by the African American Studies program, the African American Caucus, the Black Alumni Advisory Council and a coalition of campus partners.

To learn more about upcoming events, visit Celebrating Black Heritage at Montclair State University.

At the opening ceremony, Kayla Ogoti, president of the Black Student Union, said this year’s theme, Walking in the Footsteps of Greatness, “is a call to action to honor the sacrifices and achievements of the past by actively contributing to a future where justice, equality and unity prevail.”

Psychology Professor Saundra Collins elevated the voices of activists for human and civil rights, political leaders, and Black cultural leaders in opening the observance, while Psychology Professor Sandra Lewis, program director of African American Studies, performed the libation ceremony (the pouring of water) in both English and the Yoruba language. “Libation is poured because we want to honor those who have gone before us, who are the shoulders on which we stand,” Lewis said.

In his remarks, President Jonathan Koppell said the month-long observation makes “a powerful statement about our embrace of history as pivotal to understanding the contemporary challenge.”

“It’s not just about the pain and the oppression and the suffering, we also need to remember the triumph and the success and the distinction that defines black history in this country,” Koppell said.

Reading from a proclamation, Koppell recognized African Americans and other people of African ancestry who serve the University and are well represented in the student body. “They play a valuable role at the University and have enriched our campus with the highest levels of leadership, intellectual growth and artistic achievement.”

University leaders and students also took part in a discussion of influential Black historical figures, from journalist Ida B. Wells Barnett and poet Maya Angelou to inventor Lewis Latimer and educator Irvin D. Reid, the former Montclair president who was the driving force behind Montclair achieving university status, and in whose honor the creation of a scholarship in his name now benefits students in the African American Studies program.

The opening event was sponsored by the Black Heritage Planning Committee, the Office of Social Justice and Diversity, the President’s Commission on Affirmative Action and the Office of Student Development and Campus Life.

Photo Gallery

Story by Staff Writer Marilyn Joyce Lehren. Photos by University Photographer Mike Peters.

You May Also Like:

Teaching Black History in February – and Beyond

University Renames Science Hall to Honor Former President Irvin D. Reid

‘Being Black/Brown in Blue’ Engages Students and Police in Conversation 

Montclair Hosts Symposium on Achievements of Blacks and Latinx Males