From suits and ties to gowns and heels, students dressed to celebrate Black accomplishment and culture at Bradley.
The Black Student Association (BSA) hosted its annual Black Excellence Ball on Feb. 26 in the student center ballroom.
Nailah Brown, president of BSA, said that these awards and award shows are a chance for students to feel comfortable and recognized at Bradley.
“It’s important not only to inspire students that are going here but to make a space for students,” Brown, senior political science major, said. “A lot of times, they don’t feel safe on campus, emotionally, physically or whatever it may be. Events like this help them be more comfortable.”
The event handed out awards to students and student organizations on campus, with the theme of the event being “All Around the World.”
De’Jah Donahue, vice president of BSA, said the event’s theme was chosen to get a specific message across.
“Black history is not just in America,” Donahue, junior psychology major, said. “Black history is the Black diaspora; the African American and the African diaspora exists everywhere.”
The event hosted Christian comedian Stephon Raickett from Chicago. In his set, he shared his childhood as a preacher’s son and living the Black experience. After the hilarity for the night came awards.
The Mr. and Ms. Freshman were, respectively, political science major Amir Sykes and criminology major Jasmyne Cooks. Ms. Black Excellence was junior psychology major Nyla Larry, and Mr. Black Excellence was Alex Sherley. All students who won the titles were recognized for their involvement or contributions on campus.
The recipient of the Dr. Romeo B. Garrett Outstanding Achievement Award was Donahue. She said she was shocked to win the award, largely due to the fact that she is currently doing research about Garrett, and that it was an honor to be given the comparison and a moment to be humble.
“Thinking about what I’ve researched so far about him and thinking about my own, it’s just amazing that someone is comparing me to [him] — a man that was a trailblazer, a man that was, literally, the first African American professor at Bradley,” Donahue said.
The organization that received an award for its social media presence was Bradley’s collegiate chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as they were claimed to inspire and educate.
Donahue is also the president of the NAACP and said in her speech that the organization’s Instagram has been a great work in progress.
Brown felt that the night went well and that the event was a change of pace of the daily college experience.
“It’s really amazing to get dressed up, to feel beautiful or handsome,” Brown said. “We don’t get a chance to do that since most of the time we’re in sweats. It’s nice to feel the Black excellence around you. It’s truly magical.”
I’m so proud of the Black Student Association and their accomplishments. They have not only added to the Black experience at Bradley but to the overall Bradley experience️