CSU Monterey Bay’s Black Student Union and Otter Cross Cultural Center are hosting Black History Month events again, but with a slight change – theirs is spelled Black Hxstory Month.
“It’s countering the patriarchal spelling rooted in a gender dichotomy,” says Bianca Zamora, Otter Student Union’s cross cultural coordinator. “It’s more inclusive, more encompassing [than the] hetero-sexist and cis-sexist [history].”
It comes from a new perspective out of feminist and gender studies, and it’s just one example of how collegiate thought and ideas are changing tradition.
The first event (3pm Feb. 2 at the Student Center) is a girls-versus-boys throwdown of trivia and Minute-to-Win-It style games revolving around Issa Rae’s HBO hit show Insecure. It’s a decidedly millennial-age show that goes into the trenches of two young black women’s career, dating and life choices.
The next event comes 8pm Feb. 5, also at the Student Center, and it’s called Kahoot with the Kappas. It’s followed the next day by Social Justice Dialogues: Black Love (12pm Feb. 6 at OCCC), described as a community dialogue on black love and social justice. On Feb. 7, from 5-8pm, it’s African/Caribbean soul food night with the BSU 9th Annual Jamboree at the Dining Commons.
Although the community is invited to all events, Zamora says “It’s the students who really shine. It’s what they want out of the month.”
Heard that.