DRUMMING UP SUPPORT — Gene Perry was the heartbeat of Unsung Heroes and Sheroes.
Photo by Victor Ene
Dashing in her dashiki, Donna Arnold bid the crowd “karibu!,” a Swahili welcome that tumbled as thunder across the savannah bracing for a storm of life-giving rain.
Southwestern College’s ebullient dean of Arts and Communication was clear in her message.
“It’s on!”
Black History Month was four weeks of fun, reflection, celebration and renewal anchored by a stunning gallery exhibit by fiery Maxx Moses that was capped by SWC’s third annual Unsung Heroes and Sheroes.
Honoring outstanding African-American students and community heroes, the event danced and rocked in the Art Gallery courtyard with Moses’s “Good Morning America” exhibit towering in the background.
It was a celebration, but not all party. History Professor Stanley James gave an edgy and candid talk about the roots of African-American History Month.
“The African-American concept of holocaust is one that is quite unique,” he said. “It went on for 447 years and in the process of those 447 years to be exact 163,622 days in a row, the Portuguese went down in raids bringing back various Africans.”
America’s slave trade was pernicious, James said.
“Someone who worked for a short period of time and then was cast out, as the idea of keeping the hyena in the village, is illogical,” said James. “You do not keep hyenas as pets, they come they go and you are happy when they leave.”
For generations the first African-Americans spent their entire lives as slaves.
“Whether you are enslaved for a month or a year, that month or that year seems like forever,” he said. “But the African-American in the New World could be enslaved forever.”
Arnold said the evening was about students and personally paid for their scholarships.
Dr. Rachel Hastings, assistant professor of communication, said the event was about the students and community honorees.
“Personally, I think tonight’s event is about giving,” she said. “It is about recognizing them for giving both their time, their energy and their effort to support others, as well as us giving to those who are going to be the future givers of the world.”
Hastings also said she wants to make sure students realize they are important.
“I want to put the students first and I think it allows them to see they are not neglected,” she said. “Oftentimes it is easy to get lost in the masses, so for them to know their professors recognize their work inside and outside of the classroom gives them motivation to seek out opportunities on and off campus.”
Student award recipient Alexis Harris, 19, a biology major, said the faculty and staff members who put on and supported the event did a great job of making students feel welcomed and special when they received their awards.
“It feels really good,” Harris said. “When (my professor) first told me about the award I did not know how big a deal it was until tonight and when I saw how everyone was awarded I actually felt very honored because many of these people have done great things.”
Though the event was to honor the students and community members, Harris says it affects the campus community.
“It means a lot,” she said. “As a minority you kind of get down on yourself sometiwmes and when you see an entire community supporting you, it motivates you to do great things.”
Steven Whiting, 25, a telemedia and political science major, agreed.
“I think it impacts the community a lot,” he said. “All of the recipients will go back to tell their friends, ‘Hey guess what I did, I got an award for doing this and being the best I can be.’ I think that will be infectious, just like a domino effect.”
SWC President Dr. Melinda Nish praised students for their achievements and the community recipients for their altruism.
“What they all have in common is the volunteer spirit with no expectation of special recognition,” she said. “They are the pebble in the lake that makes the ripples that touch each and every one of us more and more every day.”
Unsung Heroes and Sheroes Student of Distinction awards were presented to students Elisha S. Moore, Alexis V. Harris, Steve A. Whiting, Sonya L. Chisholm, Eddie R. Williams, Evan Cintron, Quincy E. Stephens, Shantinae L. Evans, Darryl L. Buckhanon, Theresa M. Glasgow, Denise Griffin, Cortez L. Johnson and Deleon D. Dallas.
Community honorees were Clovis Honoré, Monica Honoré, Wanda Clay Majors, Tony McGee, Joyce Suber and Larry Johnson.