The Wilbur N. Daniel African-American Cultural Center (WNDAACC) held its kickoff luncheon for Black History Month on Monday, Feb. 3. This is the first in a long schedule of events the center will be hosting throughout the month.
The G1 Gov event for first-generation college students is another major event WNDAACC is hosting, according to Wallace. The event is centered around the first-generation video station. In it, first-generation students will be asked around five questions about their experience as a college student, and their answers will be recorded.
“We’ll be able to put all of those videos together to create one awesome video to help our future first-generation students,” Wallace said.
This event occurs Thursday, Feb. 6.
‘Tango as an African Diasporic Dance’ is one of WNDAACC’s educational events that they are doing, which will be in collaboration with the African American Studies Department and the Hispanic Cultural Center (HCC).
“It talks a little bit about the influence of the slave trade in some of our Hispanic countries. So, we talk about the influence on the dance the tango,” Wallace said.
This event happens at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
WNDAAC will also be hosting a pajama party from 7–11 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 13.
The event will be located within the WNDAAC Center (Clement 120). Students are encouraged to wear “nice, appropriate pajamas,” according to Wallace.
The center will be set up a little different, so it looks more like a home away from home. A large carpet will be laid out. Students will be able to play video games and board games, as well as, watch movies and listen to music together.
“I’m super excited about that event and just having that nighttime, just chill event on campus,” Wallace said.
WNDAACC will also have a ‘Taste of Africa’ event on Feb. 20. This event is in partnership with the African-Caribbean Association, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the International Student Association.
“It will be an opportunity to taste some of the awesome, authentic food from Africa. We are one of the centers on campus that actually has a full kitchen, so we will be putting it to use and having a good time and enjoying some good food,” Wallace said.
One event in particular that Wallace would love everyone to come out to is ‘The Night of Melanin Magic’ held 7:30–9 p.m., Monday, Feb. 24 in the Clement Auditorium.
“That will be an opportunity for our students to do an artistic interpretation of their experience in America. So, we’ll have dance. We’ll have poetry. We’ll have music, instrumentation and singing,” Wallace said. “I’m super excited to have our very own students show their talents and their gifts and be able to express themselves in that way, and so, that will be sort of our closing event for Black History Month.”
Wallace wants students to know that they are welcome at all of WNDAAC’s events.
“I think it’s important to understand that although we are the African-American Cultural Center, we love to have students from all different cultural backgrounds at our events, because it’s all about making sure that we’re educating the masses, and also doing our best to make sure that students leave our institution better than they came,” Wallace said. “So, part of that is cultural competency and making sure that we’re learning things about different cultures that are different than what we grew up in. We encourage all students to come out, even if they believe that it’s just an African American event; No, that’s not the case. All of our events are open to students from all different cultural backgrounds.”
This year, WNDAACC put together a Black History Month “task force,” in order to make sure that different organizations on campus weren’t programming over each other, according to Wallace.
APSU’s different organizations that work with African American students such as the NPHC, NAACP and the African-Caribbean Association all pulled together for two meetings to put together the calendar of events for Black History Month.
“So, people will be able to look in one place and figure out everything that’s happening for the month of February,” Wallace said.
WNDAACC is also working with Career Services for a few events.
“All of the events are beneficial, but some of them are meant to grab a bigger audience, and then some of them are meant to stay more of a smaller, intimate event. Some of your events are touching on and talking about really tough topics, and so, my job is to do as much educating as I can to the campus about African American culture, but also to make sure that I keep a safe space for our African American students,” Wallace said, “So if there are times or places where they don’t feel comfortable in other spaces on campus, they should know that they can always be comfortable here.”
There are 27 total events scheduled by WNDAACC for Black History Month. See the calendar below for details.
