By: Christian Sarna
Whether dating, single, or “complicated,” students who attended Black Love were far from lonely this Valentine’s Day.
Black Love is an annual event put on by the Center for Multicultural Education and the Black Student Union (BSU) to celebrate Valentine’s Day and Black History Month. It is a social event for couples and friends to share in food, games and culture. The event showcased black entertainment and gave students a forum to express their feelings about black love.
Nah’Ryan Reed-Crawford, a junior and 2018 finalist of the Western’s Got Talent competition, started off the event by singing about the beautiful side of love.
“Black love just symbolizes all love,” Reed-Crawford said.
During Reed-Crawford’s song, senior Eugenia Wallace read a poem above love’s struggles. Wallace has attended Black Love annually since her sophomore year and thinks it is a great opportunity for students to learn about relationships.
“I love the fact that it showcases love in a community that is underrepresented,” Wallace said. “It’s good for our campus here and our students of color.”
Following the entertainment, BSU President Mycah Williams led a Valentine-themed game of song association. Students teamed up to quickly think of songs containing a given word, such as “sugar” or “kiss,” and sing a line before the clock ran out. Songs ranged from Drake to gospel and showcased the talent and quick wit of Western students.
At the end of the night, students discussed relationships and what black love meant to them. The discussion was led by senior Octavia Riley, the BSU parliamentarian.
“Branch out; get to know more about your culture,” Riley said. “Black love, to me, is basically like keeping the culture together with love.”
Students of all races could appreciate the abundance of talent, love and togetherness at the event. On a day known for celebrating romantic love, Griffons devoted an evening to loving themselves and their community.