By, Mia McCauley, Student Intern, Student Affairs
Black History Month is a time to celebrate excellence and gather as a community. This month, our campus is celebrating 10 years of Black History with the theme: Legacy X.
Madison student and Black History Month Planning Committee Co-Chair Jada Young reflects on the celebration, as well as her time at Madison before graduating this spring.
“This year’s theme, Legacy X, allows me to pay homage to the Black UW alumni that worked endlessly to make sure that the Black diaspora is celebrated on this campus,” Young says.
Young explains that the Black History Month Planning Committee (BHMPC) working closely with the Black Cultural Center, which is part of the Multicultural Student Center, within Student Affairs, determined the theme to emphasize that it has been 10 years since the first formal, campus-wide celebration. “Given that UW is a PWI (Primarily White Institution), it’s not often that Black students are recognized and celebrated for the hard work that we do,” Young says.
The symbolic “X” in this year’s theme represents the Roman numeral 10 and nods to Malcolm X, who used X as a signifier of his unknown African ancestral surname. This month, students are encouraged to look back on the Black community’s accomplishments at UW–Madison within the last decade. Learn more from an oral history project that captures experiences, memories, joys and challenges from the last ten years.
“Our goal is to celebrate past, present, and future Black students at UW who have – and always will – unapologetically take up space and always strive for excellence.” Young shares.
Young explains her gratitude for the team she has worked with to plan this month. “We really wanted to create a safe space for Black UW students and plan a series of events that celebrates the legacy of our presence on this campus.”
The Black History Month Committee wants this year’s events to be a place where Black students can relax and have fun. “Our kickoff event was the biggest turnout of students we have ever had, and I felt proud watching everyone dance, eat, and play games with one another,” Young says.
“For the broader campus community, I want them to support us by allocating the resources that allow us to thrive and be successful. I want the UW administration to recognize how we have resisted and flourished despite the adversity that has been thrown our way. I feel sad thinking about how it took until the 21st century for this campus to let us have a formal Black History Heritage Month. Yet, my pride overshadows that when I remember how hard former and current Black students work to continue the celebration of our legacy and future on this campus”
For more information about Black History Month and The Black History Month Committee at UW, visit the Black Cultural Center, or BCC@studentaffairs.wisc.edu.