Melanin Royalty Dinner celebrates Black History Month
The Black Student Union (BSU) is hosting a Melanin Royalty Dinner on Feb. 27 to celebrate Black History Month and discuss mental health in the black community.
The event, held in the Navajo Room on the Mesa Community College (MCC) Southern and Dobson campus, will provide dinner and include guest speaker and MCC counselor Nicole Collins.
“We’re gonna showcase mental health within the black community,” explained BSU President Regina Roscoe. “…We’re gonna showcase a little bit of our culture and soul food.”
There will also be a presentation on African American history, from Africa to the Black Lives Matter movement.
“The importance of showcasing that is just the importance of black people in history through time,” said BSU member Brianna Beck. “All the things that we contribute, to the struggles that we’ve faced and just who we are.”
BSU adviser Maurice Smith continued, “…Typically, African Americans don’t talk about health in certain ways, so now that it’s out, we’re letting everyone know that, hey, you do have a voice. It’s not only for you but everyone that’s here. I mean, it affects everyone.”
The BSU has also celebrated Black History Month with events like a traveling African American museum and open mics held in the Student Lounge, which will happen twice a month until the end of the semester. The next open mic is on Feb. 26 at 3 p.m.
“It’s really just about getting the word out about BSU,” Beck said. “A lot of black students on campus and students on campus in general don’t know that we even have a BSU on campus, and that’s a big problem we’re trying to tackle.”
Smith encouraged everyone, not just African Americans, to attend the Melanin Royalty Dinner and see what the BSU does in the community.
“We’re just trying to bring unity…That’s one of our main focuses, is unity among everyone and bringing that on campus,” said Roscoe, “and then showcase who BSU is…so we can be recognized on campus as well.”
RSVP to the Melanin Royalty Dinner on Feb. 27 from 6-8 p.m. through the QR code on event flyers around campus or at www.eventbrite.com/e/melanin-royalty-dinner-tickets-95660425909
Contact Roscoe for more information at reg2139275@maricopa.edu.
