Students kick-off celebration on campus
Red, black and green now coat the palm trees down University Boulevard. Students climbed ladders and worked as one in celebration of Black History Month.
On Tuesday, Feb. 1 the Black Student Union (BSU) hosted its annual wrapping of the palms event.
Each year with the help of several student organizations the BSU wraps the iconic palm trees lining the boulevard in red, black and green, symbolizing the Pan-African flag and Black History Month.
“We are wrapping the palms as a start off to Black History Month, it is a representation of the Pan-African flag. We do this every year,” President of the Black Student Union Kamryn Ware said.
As president of the BSU, Ware does everything she can to make the organization feel like a family and a home. “When you drive or when you’re walking or whatever you are doing on the boulevard you see that this is Black History Month. To me it brings the campus together, because we have all these different (organizations) Greek Life, we have different cultures and yet they all come help to bring in the celebration of Black History Month,” Ware said.
Each year several fraternity and sorority members participate alongside the BSU in wrapping the trees. “This is my second year being able to participate in wrapping of the palms,” Alpha Sigma Alpha member Brissa Acevedo said.
“Personally, I choose to participate because it doesn’t take much donating your time to be an ally and spread awareness about Black History Month and problems that attack the black community.”
Each color in the Pan-African flag has a symbolic meaning.
Red symbolizes the bloodshed in the fight for liberation, black represents the people and green represents the natural fertility and growth of Africa.
“Wrapping the palm is showing that it’s our time to shine. All year we put in work like any college student would, but this month we really get to step out and shine. This month, every year is us, whether it’s several faces or one in general, it’s all about BSU and Black History Month in general,” BSU Recruitment Officer Christine Limbrick said.
For more information on Black History Month events, follow Student Activities on Instagram @tamuk_osa or contact them at (361) 593-2760.