Green, blue, and black balloons were blown up Tuesday night in the University Student Union as students and staff came together to celebrate the importance of Black men in history.
#BlackHisStories was the last of eight events wrapping up the monthlong celebration for Black History Month, bringing Black men together to express themselves and share their stories.
Fraternity and Sorority Life Coordinator Ishmael Pruitt eased students in by instructing them to breathe in and out to become more comfortable before the discussions began.
“This event reassures students that they have a safe space to be their authentic selves,” Pruitt said. “It shows that the university validates their experiences and that they are here to support them when they feel otherwise.”
Attendees reflected and discussed the influential Black men in their own lives, as well as talked about the trends in the Black community. They each had different stories to tell and different outlooks on topics that were very personal to them. However, they all agreed on one goal: to unite as brothers in the Black community.
“I feel like there is a lack of sense of community despite the young Black men that we do have here,” said Aaron Whitehurst II, communication studies major. “Events like this foster that community and it gives young black men the opportunity to talk to people that are just like them and realize that you are not here alone.”
Since only 4 percent of Long Beach State’s student body is Black, Whitehurst explained why events like these help Black students build a community on campus.
“These men have come together to discuss salient topics in the community…I find it very empowering,” said Christian Lozano Cuellar, assistant director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs. “Long Beach is fairly diverse, but there are still many topics and issues out in the community that still need to be addressed.”
The group said they should always push each other to be the best versions of themselves without having the need to compete with one another. Attendees agreed that at the end of the day, succeeding is the ultimate goal, and although there is misrepresentation in the Black community, achieving whatever they desire is within their power.
Ian Johnson, design major, echoed this sentiment of the power of the Black community. “This event highlights our accomplishments and hardships, and essentially everything that being Black is.”