About twenty students and staff gathered in the Helen Rucker Center For Black Excellence Tuesday morning to enjoy a complementary old-fashioned southern subtle breakfast.
This event offered: hot grits and shrimp, with toppings available such as cheese, cilantro and more.
Hot coffee and ice cold orange juice were also available for attendees to wash the steaming hot food down with.
The purpose of this meeting was to welcome students who are not quite familiar with the Helen Rucker Center For Black Excellence, or what they do here at Cal State Monterey Bay University (CSUMB).
After settling in, conversations about classes, living arrangements and different backgrounds were discussed amongst each other. Others took the time to get work done on their computers, or just relax in between classes/occupations.
Music from popular black artists from a wide variety of genres were played on the flatscreen in the background, which included Ciara, Drake and The Dream, amongst many others.
Towards the middle of the event, a conversational panel was initiated to get to know everyone and inform the attendees about the African Heritage Research Collaborative (AHRC Cohort).
Everyone in the room had a chance to introduce themselves and speak about why they came to the event. Freshman and sophomore students spoke about their cultural backgrounds and the nostalgia of eating breakfast in black households in their youth and where they come from.
Many student body leaders and associates of the community were present to answer any questions, or just simply to become a more familiar face while on campus. Controversial topics were also discussed, such as the racist graffiti that was directed towards black students last semester and what was done about it.
A newer student and freshman mentioned that she heard about the incident online and was under the impression that the school did not do enough about it. This was a good speaking point, because she felt like she was already walking into a ‘danger zone’.
Although intense, this event was fulfilling its intended purpose. This conversation between the student and staff needed to take place to assure the newly attending students that this campus was safe and has zero tolerance for racism.