The Black Student Union (BSU), Council of Student Organizations (COSO), Pulse Dance Troupe, and the Community Service Club are working together to create events celebrating black history throughout the month of February.

The UP reported on Black History Month events for the first half of February in the beginning of the month. Details on events for February 16 through February 27 can be found below.

Melanin Market

The BSU’s second annual Melanin Market will take place in the Grand Palm room of the Student Union on Feb. 16 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The purpose of this event is to promote the small businesses of Black entrepreneurs and gain support from the FAU community.

According to Kaila Palmer, BSU’s second vice president and organizer, this event is open to all FAU students and no RSVP is required. All purchases will be credit card only.

On the Block

Get ready for a day and night block party! This event will be held on Feb. 18 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the roof of Parking Garage 1.

Organized and hosted by BSU’s Membership & Recruitment Chair Donoven Jeudy, there will be food, music, and games. BSU is also looking to hire a caricature artist and some food trucks for this event.

As no RSVP is required, anyone in the FAU community may attend this event – so get your party hat on!

Drill ‘Em Down

It’s time to stretch those legs, because BSU is collaborating with Pulse Dance Troupe for their annual hip-hop dance workshop. The event will be held on Feb. 21 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m, in Live Oak Pavilion A and B.

This event is meant to pay tribute to African tradition through dance by learning a dance routine and performing it at the end of the class, according to Vania Bocage, BSU’s event coordinator.

Attendance will be collected at the event.

Black Orgs. Rock 

An annual tabling event, organized by COSO, will be held on Feb. 22 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the housing lawn. This is meant to showcase Black-led organizations on the FAU Boca Raton campus so that students can find different communities to be a part of.

“By coming to Black Orgs. Rock, you can see how our Black-led orgs. Choose to stand out to deepen the culture of our community,” said COSO Director Ryan Chery.

A link to RSVP will be sent by email for registering to showcase an organization. Further updates on the event will be provided on COSO’s Instagram.

Mr. and Mrs. BSU Pageant

A pageant will be held on Feb. 24 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Live Oak Pavilion. At the event, four BSU members will be crowned as royalty. Only current and active BSU members with good academic standing are eligible for the crown, however the pageant is open for anyone to attend.

BSU felt inclusivity was important in choosing contestants, so they let applicants choose between three titles instead of two: Mr., Mrs., and Mx. Mx is a non-binary identifying pronoun, which gives all students, including those with nonbinary gender identities, the chance to be crowned and named as royalty.

After applying for any one of these positions, applicants went through an interview process, where they were asked about their involvement at FAU, community service, and knowledge of the Black experience. All accepted applicants are currently in rehearsals for the pageant. Royalty will gain backstage passes to the BHM Comedy Show, among other prizes.

Bocage has had this event idea since she joined the BSU executive board in July 2022. With help from secretary Atman McDuffy, she has been able to bring it to life.

“I just always wondered why we didn’t have [a pageant] and I just wanted us to be able to have that opportunity, and showcase this other side of BSU,” said Bocage.

Volunteering

As part of a collaboration with the Community Service Club, BSU is organizing a clean-up of the Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Pearl City on Feb. 25, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. This volunteer opportunity is open to all FAU students.

To RSVP for this volunteer opportunity, a link will be provided in BSU’s Instagram for the general student population and shared directly to members. A NobleHour link will also be shared for those who RSVP to gain volunteer hours for the event.

Contact Ashley Williams, BSU’s community service chair, at [email protected] for any questions.

Comedy Show

To end Black History Month, there will be a comedy show, which the UP has previously reported on. This show will take place on Feb. 27 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Barry Kaye Auditorium. This year’s headlining performer is Drew Desbordes (Druski).

The comedian has requested 10 to 12 students to send in videos of talent or comedy for the pre-show entertainment. These videos can be submitted through BSU’s Instagram direct messages.

Elisabeth Gaffney is a staff writer for the University Press. For more information regarding this article or others, you can email [email protected] or DM her on Instagram @elisabethgaff.