February 2026 marked the 100th year of Black History Month in the United States. What was first established as “Negro History Week” in February 1926 by Carter G. Woodson blossomed into the annual month-long celebration of African American history and culture. At Southwestern University, Black students and professors collaborated to hold a plethora of events throughout February to experience and honor Black history. 

Black History Month Kickoff

The Black History Month Kickoff event took place on February 2, 2026. The event included games, food, and craft making. Students had the opportunity to read about some of the biggest figures in Black History, such as Arthur Ashe and Audre Lorde, as well as write their own messages about how they choose to celebrate Black History Month. One response stated, “Music, movies, books, and Black media!” Another response to the question of what Black history means to them stated, “A reminder of all the success, beauty, and community that precedes me.” The event was also hosted by MyKella Mitchell, the new director of Student Inclusion and Diversity at Southwestern!

Black History Month Musicale

The Black History Month Musicale was an intimate event featuring performances from Matthew Nixon-Hoxie ‘26 and Zoe Hein ‘26. The Megaphone sat down with Matthew to discuss their performance and the importance of the Musicale. “My year-and-a-half-long journey with Marques Garret’s Love Cycle has led me to a deeper appreciation of non-idiomatic music by Black composers,” says Matthew when speaking about their song choice for their performance. Matthew spoke with much reverence about their song, speaking to the notion of performing such an emotional piece in response to the unseriousness that is typically shown toward music by Black artists. Matthew also spoke to the emotional impact of singing Black music, “There is a sense of kinship, of understanding, of seeing and being seen…we share a common oppression, where the dominant Western musical narrative tries to silence our voices while appropriating our culture.” The Black History Month Musicale was a beautiful and intimate event, one that will hopefully continue to grow with more people of color within Southwestern’s Fine Arts community.

The Black Excellence Ball

This classy, black-tie event was hosted by V.I.B.E., or Voices Inspiring Black Excellence, in the Howry Center on February 20. V.I.B.E. is a Southwestern organization focused on uplifting Black students at Southwestern. The event was also hosted by several of Southwestern’s athletes.

The Black Experience Panel

One of the most enriching Black History Month events, the Black Experience Panel was an event moderated by Dr. Alicia Moore and hosted by Jayden Dawson ‘28, aimed to platform Black students and professors to share their experiences while attending Southwestern. It is worth noting that this crucial event, like many of the other events, was attended by only one non-Black person. The panel included Dr. Vallaire Wallace, Dr. Robyn Adams, Dr. Alex Goodwin, Nia Canon ‘26, and Sakia Rivers ‘26. The professors offered a unique perspective to the panel, attesting to their experiences with microaggressions and from both students and colleagues, inferiority, and questioning their overall fit at Southwestern. The students, Nia and Sakia, spoke to the reality of campus diversity that was in stark contrast to their original expectations. The panel was most enlightening, filled with anecdotes that further established irreplaceable connections of the Black community at Southwestern, as well as the need for more efforts to honor the people within it.

Sinners Night

The viewing and discussion of Ryan Coogler’s 2025 film, Sinners, made for a fun and entertaining night! The powerful display of Black and African culture, spirituality, and history makes for an enriching pick to celebrate Black History Month.

Environmental Racism Roundtable

Southwestern Environmentalists presented a brief presentation with supporting materials about environmental racism, specifically regarding the rise of AI Datacenters across the country. These Datacenters are essentially “digitally redlined zones” in which low-income communities or communities of color are subjected to extreme water loss and noise pollution in their homes. The solemn nature of the discussion ultimately deepened our knowledge on an issue that impacts our communities and peers. You may also read the supporting article, which can be found here. This article, written by Mario DeSean Booker, does a fine job of weighing in on the Black experience in an environmental and racially conscious context.

Friday Night Live with Lance Thomas

Black History Month concluded with a wonderful Friday Night Live Performance, accompanied by barbecue and soul food classics. Lance Thomas made a trip with his wife from Shreveport, Louisiana, to join us in celebrating with a pop musical performance in the Cove! It was an especially intimate way of closing out the month, with students sharing a nice meal and an interactive concert.