The Center for Race, Ethnicity & Diversity Education hosted the Black History Month Kickoff event on Thursday, Feb. 1. The theme for Black History Month 2024 at Elon is “Rhythms of Resilience: One Soul One Sound.”
The angelic voices of Melanated Melodies, a Black student acapella group, filled McKinnon Hall to kickoff Black History Month at Elon as members sang “When I See You” by Fantasia Barrino. The group’s performance at Thursday night’s kickoff event personified this year’s Black History Month theme, “Rhythms of Resilience: One Soul, One Sound.”
As attendees walked into McKinnon Hall, they were met with images of black of excellence from prominent magazine covers, such as Ebony, Jet, Essence, VIBE, Vogue, Rolling Stone and TIME. Bright colors and vinyl decorations were also spread throughout the event, creating a visual depiction of the Black History Month theme and setting the tone for the 90s vibe and hip-hop culture.
Taylor Scott ’25, a student coordinator for the Black Student Success initiative within the Center for Race, Ethnicity & Diversity Education (CREDE), spoke to the inspiration for the kickoff event and overall Black History Month theme.
“We were thinking about the 50 years of hip-hop and its anniversary that recently came up. We wanted to channel all that energy and the power of the Black community through music,” Scott said.
Music continued to be a centric theme throughout the evening, with student performers sharing their talents. This included another performance from Melanated Melodies of “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, and from Naliah Ware’26, stage name N-Major, and Salome Onikolase’26.
The kickoff event was also a learning opportunity, allowing attendees to learn about important terms synonymous with Black and hip-hop culture, the history of hip-hop, and the roots and importance of Black History Month.
Kashawn Myer ’26, a student coordinator for the Black Student Success initiative within the CREDE, expounded on the importance of celebrating Black History Month. “It’s knowing what we fought for. [And] not us but, what our ancestors fought for and how far we’ve come. It’s acknowledging what we want to achieve in the future, and not just being someone that’s Black and American. But being someone that’s Black and successful in America. Being someone who’s not alone in the world, and knowing your worth is more than just being Black,” Myer said.
Sandra Reid ’85, senior lecturer for human service studies, attended the kickoff event and expanded on the importance of Black History Month. “We have to always think about the contributions that Black folk have made in this country,” she said. “And certainly, more than just February, but we have this designated month, so we need to emphasize Black excellence.”
As the evening continued, attendees were able to visit tables to delve deeper into the intersectionalities of music and their role in shaping diverse identities with the CREDE and El Centro. Attendees could also gain insight into the impact of the language of hip-hop and various music genres on culture and identity with DEEP, CREDE’s signature program for social justice, and the Gender and LBGTQIA Center (GLC).
Additional tables and activities available to attendees included discovering the influence of music across generations, learning how to get connected with the Black Student Union (BSU), the Lyric Hub, where attendees could listen and reflect on musical verses, and vinyl paint dipping.
The celebration of rhythm and resilience within Black history will continue throughout February with programs and events hosted by the CREDE. Upcoming Black History Month events include Karaoke Night, Black History Month trivia night, and “Abusua,” the Black History Month dance concert.