To kick off Black History Month, ETSU’s Black Affairs Association held a ribbon giveaway in the D.P. Culp Student Center.
Each ribbon possessed three colors which stood as a representation of the African people, their hardships and their fight for liberation.
“The red is the blood of our people from slavery, fighting back, police violence,” said Naomi Gates, a member of Black Affairs Association. “Black is for our skin, our melanin… Green is for the land that was taken from us and the land that we reclaimed.”
Collectively, these three colors stand together as the Pan-African flag.
This event is part of a larger series hosted by Black Affairs Association called “Unapologetically Black,” which is a month-long celebration of Black History Month. Each week of February is divided into themes, including education week, discussion week, spirit week and culture week.
For this week, discussion week, Black Affairs Association is hosting a variety of instructive events. National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day takes place on Feb. 7 in room 216 of the D.P. Culp Student Center. This event, happening from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature free HIV/AIDS testing. A discussion on safe sex will take place later that evening at 7 p.m. in the Multicultural Center presentation room.
“As only eight percent of the population, this is a way to represent us even when there are not many of us,” said Gates. “It is our time for appreciation, especially at a PWI, predominately-white institution. This is just us showing we’re still here. We’re here to stay.”
For more information on upcoming events, meetings and other activities, find Black Affairs Association on Instagram at @blackaffairsetsu or follow their Black History Month account @unapologeticallyblack_etsu.
