There were no activities for Black History Month here at Bakersfield College.
“[Student Government Association] wanted to do something for the African American population here on campus, but unfortunately there was not enough support from an array of groups here on campus,” said SGA secretary Erin Robinson.
According to Robinson, Travis Tillis, former SGA president, was coordinating events for this year’s Black History Month, but left without passing along any slated events or information regarding events in the works.
Due to this reason, budget, and many other issues, SGA was unable to pick up where Tillis left off.
February is a month full of important dates, although it is the shortest month in the year. People celebrate past presidents’ birthdays, the efforts of past and present presidents, and the ever-popular day of love, Valentine’s Day. BC takes part in these days with no school days on certain holidays, and on Valentine’s Day one can find groups and individuals selling items on campus.
No activities were promoted throughout the month at BC for the celebration of Black History Month, which is currently known as, National African American History Month.
Students from BC Delano Campus were asked what they feel the importance of celebrating Black History Month is, and many responded with a similar response.
Ricky Pimentel felt strongly about his response.
“I believe it is to honor those that have impacted our lives today in significant ways and to recognize those black individuals who were brave enough to show our nation that they are as equal as anyone else. They are capable of anything they set their mind to,” he said.
Jazamine Gonzalez said, “It’s part of our salad, it’s something unique about our country,” which she explained is a popular replacement for “the melting pot.”
Nathalie Hernandez said, “It is to remind everyone in this nation of how far we’ve come and to show respect for the black community and continue doing so.”
Although the majority of students could not name an African American inventor when asked, Hernandez mentioned Madam C.J. Walker as an inventor of hair products.