On Thursday, music and laughter echoed through the Clayton University Center as students gathered to kick off Black History Month. The ceilings were lit red and green to represent the Pan-African flag. The event was organized by an association of student groups to honor the month and celebrate Black culture on campus. 

This association included the Center for Cultural Engagement, Women of Color Alliance, Men of Color Alliance, Black Student Union and African Student Association. The event was hosted by Alex Quox, ‘16, a stand-up comedian, and featured a performance by a community-based high school dance group from East Stroudsburg that aims to empower people in the surrounding community. 

 The event wasn’t only meant to mark the beginning of Black History Month but also to provide a space for students to connect with new and familiar faces.

A community-based high school dance group from East Stroudsburg performs in the University Center Great Room as part of a Black History Month event on Feb. 5. The ceilings were lit red and green to represent the Pan-African flag. (Courtesy of Christa Neu)

Afia Arhin, ‘27, the treasurer of the Women of Color Alliance, helped fundraise for and advertise the event through the group’s social media accounts and word of mouth. 

She said alumni who return to campus are often impressed by the increased representation of the Black community.

“A lot of times when alumni come back, they say, ‘When I was going to school here, there weren’t as many of us,’” Arhin said.

The Women of Color Alliance is an affinity group, meaning it hosts events throughout the year recognizing different ethnicities and minority groups, such as Hispanic Heritage Month and  Black History Month. 

Arhin said it’s important for the alliance to represent its community and raise awareness about support systems available on campus.

“I feel like when it comes to identification, it’s really dependent on the student body that identifies with the affiliation to come up with events,” Arhin said. “I wish Lehigh as an institution took more initiative to host their own events.”

She said although individual clubs often collaborate, securing funding has become more difficult due to budget cuts.

Kamara St. Paul, ‘26, the president of the Women of Color Alliance, said she wanted to create a way to celebrate students at Lehigh while also providing a safe space for those who may not always feel seen or celebrated. 

She said it would be beneficial for the university to host more cultural events rather than relying on clubs to raise money to make them happen.

“The university has money, but the clubs have to pull and fund money everywhere,” St. Paul said.

Students socialize at a celebration of Black History Month in the University Center Great Room on Feb. 5. The event included members of the Center for Cultural Engagement, Women of Color Alliance, Men of Color Alliance, Black Student Union and African Student Association. (Courtesy of Christa Neu

Luis Caceres, ‘26G, who works at the Center of Cultural Engagement, helped reach out to the high school dance team because he believes Lehigh should do more to support the surrounding community.

Caceres said the university’s administration is working to involve community members in campus events. 

“We want to highlight the importance of Black History Month,” Caceres said. “I think representation is also very big for us, so getting as many students as possible to be in that space, to have fun, because there is a lot going on in the world, we want people to have a safe space on campus.”

He said he recently spoke with Reginald Jennings, ‘70, who told him he never imagined the university would have spaces like the Center for Cultural Engagement when he was a student. 

“I think the next step should be to focus on intersectionality,” Caceres said. “For example, there is the Pride Center, the Gender Leadership and Empowerment group and the Center for Cultural Engagement on the same floor of the University Center.”

He said their physical proximity helps encourage collaboration but added that more joint events could be created to reflect the intersection of student identities, such as students who are both LGBTQ+ and people of color. 

Beyond celebrating Black History Month, St. Paul said the event encouraged collaboration among organizations and demonstrated their collective strength. 

“It’s important to know that Lehigh is doing the work and creating spaces to make sure students feel like they belong,” Caceres said. “Especially at a time where diversity, equity and inclusion is getting attacked.”