The breadth and span of African American history is as old as the first civilizations and as current as the young faces listening to Eugene B. Redmond, PhD, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville emeritus professor of English and East St. Louis Poet Laureate. Redmond spoke about the brilliancy, beauty and battles of African Americans during SIUE’s Black Heritage Month Opening Ceremony on Monday, Feb. 4 in the Morris University Center’s Goshen Lounge.
“From Africa to East St. Louis, the immense impact of blacks on society is inescapable,” said Redmond, keynote speaker, SIUE alumnus and namesake of SIUE Lovejoy Library’s Eugene B. Redmond Learning Center. “I was one of the first editors of the Alestle. Our generation changed the world we lived in.”
Redmond added that the SIUE student newspaper Alestle’s name was derived from a combination of the SIU campuses of Alton (Al), East St. Louis (estl) and Edwardsville (e).
“African Americans have played a critical role in the history of this nation in so many ways,” said SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook, who welcomed the crowd. “Whether it has been in the areas of the military, education, government, arts, sciences, sports and religion, the contributions of African Americans have been such a key to our society. It’s one reason why we at SIUE want to spend the month of February celebrating those accomplishments. Diversity enhances the strength of our society, and it enhances the strength of SIUE.”
This year marks the 19th annual celebration of Black Heritage Month at SIUE, sponsored by the University’s Campus Activities Board (CAB). “Our Powerful Purpose” is the theme for the month and Amelia Williams, a senior majoring in biology, is the Black Heritage Month CAB chair.
“As blacks celebrate every day, but February is our anniversary,” said Williams. “Being black is something we go through every single day. It is something in the present that we have to persevere through, in the past our ancestors shed blood, sweat and tears for, and something in which future generations will take pride.”
Redmond turned back the pages of SIUE history for his audience to a time when the University was first housed in the old East St. Louis Senior High School building in East St. Louis, and was deeded to Southern Illinois University Carbondale for a minimum fee.
“I got my SIUE degree in the old East St. Louis High School building,” reminisced Redmond.
He noted that he graduated from the East St. Louis high school for blacks, Lincoln Senior High School. Lincoln was also the alma mater of Miles Davis, Barbara Ann Teer, Jackie Joyner Kersee and other great Americans.
While Redmond and other African Americans of his generation pursued greatness, the poet, writer, editor, photographer and historian, recalled some of the challenges of the times.
“I remember as a teenager and young man when I was out on a date, I would ride around to see if any of the restaurants would allow us to eat there,” explained Redmond. “I would leave my date in the car, so she would not be embarrassed or get her feelings hurt, while I checked to see if restaurants admitted black people.”
Other black history lessons came from students of the National Pan-Hellenic Council at SIUE. Members of black Greek sororities and fraternities spoke about the origins of their organizations and what black history meant to them. In doing so, Sigma Gamma Rho sorority member Naja Gbala performed her original rap song, “NPHC, Speaking on Black History.” Taylor Robinson, a graduate student majoring in College Student Personnel Administration, performed her original poem, “I Was Never Meant to be this Educated.”
“This is your charge, to be brilliant, beautiful, bold and black,” said emcee Dominic Dorsey II, director of Accessible Campus Community & Equitable Student Support (ACCESS), at the conclusion of the program, “Never let anyone tell you to make yourself small for their comfort. Be more black means that this is not the time to turn down, but a time to turn up.”
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Eugene B. Redmond, PhD, SIUE emeritus professor of English, SIUE alumnus and East St. Louis Poet Laureate, was the keynote speaker at SIUE’s Black Heritage Month Opening Ceremony.
Taylor Robinson, a graduate student majoring in College Student Personnel Administration, performed her original poem, “I Was Never Meant to be this Educated.”
Dominic Dorsey II, director of Accessible Campus Community & Equitable Student Support (ACCESS), emceed the program.