Fordham’s Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) is commemorating Black History Month during February through a series of celebratory events, with the aim of appreciating Black voices in the past, present and future. 

“Our office strives to host events that highlight specific identities to both honor the people in our community that identify with that specific experience and to encourage those who may not identify to appreciate and learn about something new,” Lilibeth Ramos Flores, the graduate intern from OMA and moderator of the Black History Month Committee, said. 

Honoring Black History Month at Fordham holds great significance toward educating a predominately white institution on Black history and Black excellence to represent Black students, according to Katelyn Figueroa, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’24 and the committee’s cultural program coordinator.

“If the majority understands and accepts us (the minority) as a Fordham community, we can grow stronger and exist collaboratively in an environment where everyone feels accepted.” Katelyn Figueroa, FCLC ’24

“If the majority understands and accepts us (the minority) as a Fordham community, we can grow stronger and exist collaboratively in an environment where everyone feels accepted,” she said.

OMA has worked closely with its Black History Month Committee to plan events for the duration of the entire month. The celebration commenced on Feb. 2 with a virtual event featuring keynote speaker Moses Harper, who held a conversation about Black History Month. According to Harper’s website, she “is a visionary of artistic expression in support of social empowerment and healing.” 

On Feb. 15, the committee will host a movie night in the Lincoln Center student lounge with the streaming of “Black Panther” to honor Black representation in film. 

Later in the month, on Feb. 18, the committee will be hosting a Black History Month trivia night in McNally Amphitheater at Fordham Lincoln Center, an opportunity for students to test their knowledge, have the opportunity to educate themselves about Black history and to win prizes. 

The committee will conclude Black History Month with a virtual Zoom showing of the Love Your Hair Panel on Thursday, Feb. 24, where students and faculty can share their own stories about their and discuss how important their hair is to their identity. The event will be available for students at both the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses. Following this event will be the Love Your Hair Expo from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., located in the Indoor Plaza at the Lincoln Center campus. At this event, the committee will be tabling hair care products from Black-owned businesses. 

OMA encourages students of all backgrounds to celebrate and self-educate on Black experience and culture at the events, according to Ramos Flores. 

“If we can get students to begin to think about different identities and how there is so much history behind those identities, it is a step in the direction of research, knowledge and hopefully appreciation for others,” Ramos Flores said. 

“It is imperative to remember that Black History does not begin and end with the month of February.” Lilibeth Ramos Flores, graduate intern from OMA and moderator of BHM Committee

The events also offer a time for Black students to share their experiences with their peers, according to Figueroa.

“We want to feel as if we are a part of the entire Fordham community,” she said. “If those around us are able to identify and celebrate how special and important it is to be a person of color, it’ll help make our community, as a whole, stronger.” 

The OMA committee hopes to gain high exposure and attendance at the events to ultimately “celebrate Blackness” both during and after the month. 

“It is imperative to remember that Black History does not begin and end with the month of February. It exists every day and should be recognized as such,” Ramos Flores said.