The Tufts Black Men's Group last Friday hosted its second-annual End of Black History Month celebration, highlighting the central roles of black male pioneers throughout history.
A short video clip framed current students and professors, both male and female, as pioneers of our time.
"We chose the tagline ‘Remembering Our Pioneers Of Change' because we felt that it was time to give back to those men and women of color who paved the way, who were mavericks in their own fields and who inspired many people to live and continue their legacy," Groom Dinkneh, a member of the executive board of the Black Men's Group, told the Daily in an email.
Throughout the night, members of the Black Men's Group spoke of the influence that black male pioneers — including George Washington Carver, Ralph Bunche and former Tufts Professor Gerald Gill — have had on their own lives, according to Dinkneh, a junior.
"Each member of the [executive board] wrote about a specific pioneer who was influential in shaping their interests, or maybe someone who encouraged future students to pursue other opportunities, those less sought after by people of color per se," he said.
The event featured spoken word poetry from Andrew Nuñez-Bibby, a junior, and MontelYancy, a sophomore, as well as performances by Essence and a band of Tufts Alumni.
A scene from High-Yellow/Blue-Black Birds, a play produced by Bare Bodkin Theatre Company and written and directed by Kristen Johnson, a senior, provided the audience with a sampling of the narrative that will be performed in full on April 4.
The Black Men's Group closed the celebration standing in front of the audience, saying in unison "we are all pioneers."
Dinkneh noted that the event was well-attended, with over 150 people present.
"I would be amazed if this didn't become an annual event because the community so badly needs an event of this nature, which simply was a celebration and commemoration for leaders of all races, ethnicities and genders," Dinkneh said.
