February is Black History Month, so to kick off the beginning of the historical and honorary month, the University announced the activities and events that will be taking place throughout the month to celebrate Black History. These events include academic lectures, panels, showcases, historical projects and more. The University’s Black Student Union will be hosting many events throughout the month, all of which will be advertised on its Instagram, @novabsu. On Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. in the Villanova Room, BSU will be hosting a Showcase called Light up the World: Celebrations of Black Joy. The attire for the showcase is formal, and there will be a lineup of several speakers, performers and artists. 

Even the University’s Dining Services have plans for this year’s Black History Month. Every Tuesday during the month, the dining halls will be offering a menu inspired by a famous Black chef. The menus and more information about the chefs and their accomplishments can be found on the Dining Services website. 

Many of the schools within the University are hosting their own events to celebrate Black History Month. The College of Engineering has three separate events planned. On Feb. 3, there was an event called Black History Month in CEER hosted by SHPE, NSBE and the Engineering DEI committee. If one was unable to attend this first event from the College of Engineering, keep an eye out, because it is hosting several more events throughout the duration of the month. Over Zoom on Feb. 10 at 7 p.m., there will be an event called “Villanova Engineering Seniors Tell All.” 

“Hear from Black Villanova Engineering Seniors as they discuss challenges faced and how they were overcome, valuable extracurricular activities, helpful on-campus resources, favorite courses, the benefit of research experiences, post-graduation plans and what they know now that they wish they knew then,” said the press release for the event. 

For those looking for advice from Black graduates of Villanova Engineering, there will be another panel event on Feb. 24 over Zoom at 7 p.m. called “Voices of Experience: Alumni Career Panel.” On Feb. 23, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing will be hosting a virtual event titled “The Power of Black Nurses’ Voices.” 

The Villanova School of Business will also be hosting several events, including “Veritas Voices: A Dialogue Series” on Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. over Zoom, “Cultural Conversations” on Feb. 16 at 12:30 p.m. over Zoom and “Keynote Speaker Series: Dr. Randal D. Pinkett,” who is an entrepreneur, author and DEI expert. 

Amid bomb threats at more than 12 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), on Feb. 1, the necessity of Black History Month is even more significant. The University’s efforts to educate nonblack students should be taken seriously so that Black students can feel safe, heard and valued on campus. Racism is still a huge problem across higher education, and the threats to several HBCUs are evidence of this. 

The NAACP released a statement regarding the threats. 

“The Black community has long been plagued by threats of domestic terrorism against them in their schools, homes and houses of worship,” the statement said. “As we enter Black History Month, it is all too concerning that we are seeing a resurgence of these threats.” 

Black students, like all other students, have the right to feel safe as they receive an education. The University is encouraging students of all backgrounds to take advantage of these events as a chance to learn more about and appreciate African American culture and history, as well as to stand in solidarity with Black students within the predominantly white student body of the University.