A whiteboard outside the Black Student Union’s office advertises upcoming events in February that celebrate black heritage.
A whiteboard outside the Black Student Union’s office advertises upcoming events in February that celebrate black heritage.
Michael Marafino | Staff Writer
02/08/18
In February, Duquesne looks to honor an often overlooked part of America’s past. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion, along with multiple other groups, including the Department of Psychology and the Black Student Union, will be holding many events in order to honor Black History Month.
Some of the events include Black Love Day on Feb. 22, an NAACP Panel Discussion on Feb. 26, and the Chuck Cooper Classic Game on Feb. 24. The full list of events can be located in the Duquesne University Times.
The Chuck Cooper Classic basketball game, which is an annual event at Duquesne, features the Duquesne University men’s basketball team playing Davidson College.
Jeffery Mallory, director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, was asked about the significance of Black History Month to Duquesne.
“Celebrating African-American history is very significant to us,” Mallory said. “As with any other ethnicity, race, the preservation and uplifting of events and activities that directly discuss their history is nothing short of special. Safeguarding such moments is critical to us as an office and university community.”
Mallory also said that the events are intended to include a wide variety of activities to serve as learning moments for people of all interests and thoughts.
Racial issues are certainly still of significant concern throughout the country. In an August 2017 Gallup poll, 58 percent of Americans see racism as a “big problem.” Several movements, such as Black Lives Matter, believe that racism is still a significant issue in the United States.
According to a recent poll done on campus, racism is a concern among the campus community in regards to how political candidates act. When asked if addressing racial issues is important for a presidential candidate to do, approximately 81 percent of 31 Duquesne freshmen questioned believe that it is important for their candidate to address race issues.
Mallory said that it is of utmost importance to display diversity in the current political climate.
“Promoting diversity in our society should be safeguarded at all costs” said Mallory. “As members of society at large, we each have the unique ability to promote diversity in the societies we work and live in. At our core and inclusive of our past history, we are a highly diverse society in so many ways.”
Mallory related diversity to the inclusive community at Duquesne University.
“As an office, we are honored to promote diversity through a variety of programs and initiatives,” Mallory said. “Perhaps most importantly, we take great pride in promoting diversity through simply treating our university members with the highest amount of dignity and respect possible.”
