Student organizations have been working hard to celebrate Pan-African Heritage and Black History Month through speakers, performances and discussions.

Marquette’s Black Student Council held an all-day event last Friday for Black Solidarity Day in the AMU’s multicultural center, said Domonique Miller, the community service chair for Black Student Council.

They watched the movie “A Different World,” discussed the historical importance of Black Solidarity Day and held discussions on black love and the importance of black men and women in society, said Miller, a senior in the College of Communication.

Ri’ana Johnson, the historian for Black Student Council, experienced her first Black Solidarity Day this year.

“Black Solidarity Day is a day where African-Americans collectively take absence from social, political, economic and educational affairs to take time to have discussions about how to better the future of the black community as a whole,” said Johnson, a sophomore in the College of Education.

Black Student Council held a series of discussions on Friday, Feb. 18, that looked at the evolution of the black man in media and society, and also the meaning of Black Solidarity Day, she said. They also watched “A Different World,” where they compared and contrasted college life for black men in the 1980s with now.

She said they also wore all black and refrained from attending classes in honor of the day.

Discussions took place about how to peacefully bring together communities and “better society and interracial affairs,” Johnson said.

Black Student Council has celebrated Black Solidarity Day since 2007, she said. They began celebrating to bring together the people who care about the cause and want to change interracial affairs at Marquette.

“It is important to celebrate Black Solidarity Day because it builds a sense of community,” Johnson said. “The absence of blacks in the workplace, in the classroom, in the shopping centers, can make a statement and change day-to-day interactions amongst others.”

Along with Black Solidarity Day, Black Student Council also recently hosted a trivia night at the Annex and have a poetry night planned for this Wednesday, where they will explore “expressions of black love.”

The Office of Student Development has been celebrating Pan-African Heritage throughout January and February.

Darryle Todd, coordinator of Intercultural Programs for the Office of Student Development, said OSD is trying a holistic approach, looking at the whole person through personal and social identity development, systematic issues and academics through presenting research.

There are also pipeline filling activities, which encourage dialogue between youth, college students and adults, he said.

As a part of the Pan-African Heritage celebration, OSD co-sponsored the Martin Luther King Service Day on Jan. 17, where students went to South Division High School and painted murals in the school.

Todd said the murals “overall enhanced” the school.

For future celebrations, Todd said he would like to see an MLK breakfast or banquet planned with other colleges in the area, and to see more collaboration and communication happening through different colleges and departments here at Marquette.

Johnson said Marquette is doing a good job helping to celebrate black expression and history through programs and events.

In the future, she said she would like to see Residence Hall Association and Marquette Student Government sponsor an event.

Todd said it is important to celebrate things like Pan-African Heritage because “as an institution of higher education, it is good for students to engage intellectually and to connect their formal education with real world issues and practical examples.”