On Sept. 20, new and returning students gathered on McMahon Lawn for Fordham Lincoln Center’s Black Student Alliance (BSA) annual cookout. Following the success of last year’s event, the yearly cookout gives undergraduate students the opportunity to celebrate this important piece of Black culture through music, games and food.
Karina Ruiz, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’26, and director of public relations for BSA, commented on the significance of a cookout.
“We love to do a cookout because we find that a gathering that’s outside with games surrounded by music and food is just an essential part of Black culture … Around the whole Black diaspora, we all have aspects of cookout culture within our own specific communities,” Ruiz said.
“Finding a Black community at a PWI (predominantly white institution), I just feel at home.” Tallulah Rudasingwa, FCLC ’28
BSA’s cookout is an example of one of the ways Black people around the world show up for each other and reconnect. Tallulah Rudasingwa, FCLC ’28, expressed that holding this event at Fordham gives students a safe space to connect with others from similar backgrounds and share their culture with people who are curious about it. This was their first time attending the annual cookout.
“Finding a Black community at a PWI (predominantly white institution), I just feel at home,” Rudasingwa said. “Finding people who look like you, I feel like it just feels very comforting, especially since I went to a high school that was predominantly Black.”
Toni Akinbamowo, secretary of BSA and FCLC ’26, emphasized the importance of having the event at the beginning of the school year.
“We do a fall cookout to start the semester off on a good note,” Akinbamowo said. “Fordham can be a little bit of a grind … it’s great to start it off with a little bit of fun and community.”
The event curated a cultural experience that included soul food — catered by Charlie’s Pan Fried Chicken this year — music that ranged from afrobeats to R&B and various games such as UNO and other tabletop games, pickleball, volleyball and hula hooping.
Roslyn Mensah, FCLC ’27, who has been an active member of BSA since her first year at Fordham, complimented the overall ambiance of the event.
“I really like the music and that there’s games. It’s a chill event to start the year,” Mensah said.
Mensah, reflecting on her experience with BSA as a whole, said that the club makes it “so much easier to meet people, especially at Lincoln Center … It’s just an open and free space to talk about anything that’s bothering you.”
Courton Johnson, FCLC ’29, who grew up in Jamaica, said he enjoyed the cultural experience he gained from this event.
“I needed some reinforcement culturally, and this was that,” Johnson said.
The event curated a cultural experience that included soul food — catered by Charlie’s Pan Fried Chicken this year — music that ranged from afrobeats to R&B and various games such as UNO and other tabletop games, pickleball, volleyball and hula hooping.
BSA hosts events throughout the year that range from game nights to career-building and connecting with alumni. Jillian Bruno, president of BSA and FCLC ’26, hopes to also make time for fun.
“I’ve loved BSA every single year I’ve been in it,” Bruno said. “I think we’re excited to really have fun with it and do even more community-building things. I love how much education we focus on — we have a lot of alumni connections, which I love, but I just want us to play together and have everyone feel like they’re friends … I’m excited for everyone to get really close.”
Bruno said she is most excited for BSA’s Black History Month events. The club kicks off the month of February with a small party or “social,” and then the month is filled with dinners, guest speakers and “chats” where members are given a topic and encouraged to engage in casual conversation with each other. Bruno discussed how important and busy the month of February is for BSA.
“Black History Month in February is huge for us. We have so many alumni come in,” Bruno said. “I love the art showcases that we do. I feel like everyone in this club is so creative.”
BSA’s E-board highlighted the importance of encouraging connections with alumni in hopes of fostering an environment where alumni feel welcomed to join in and help with future events.
Jemima Monga, a Gabelli School of Business alumna who goes by the stage name “Ms. Worldwide,” is one such example. She returned to DJ the cookout again for the second time after having graduated last year.
Monga’s set included staples of cookout songs such as “Wobble,” “Cha-cha slide” and “Candy,” bringing people together to line dance in between bites of soul food and a game of Jenga.
BSA meets every Monday at 5:30 p.m. in the Leon Lowenstein Center in room 710 and can be found on Instagram @bsa_lc. Their next large-scale event will be their Halloween mixer on Oct. 30.