Graphic by Venesia Delancy ‘22, Co-Chair for the APAU
Lenox Johnson ’24
Copy Chief
The Mount Holyoke Association of Pan African Unity strives to foster an environment of cohesion and celebration throughout Mount Holyoke College’s Black and POC communities — this month and every month.
Preparations for Black History Month have been underway since mid-October. Co-coordinators, Geraldine Louis ’24 and Ziyadah Zeigler ’23, in conjunction with the APAU Board and Latrina L. Denson, Associate Dean of Students, Community and Belonging, were meticulous in curating the February 2022 schedule.
“Planning all of this has really been a roller coaster. … So far, a lot of people are really engaged in what’s going on and what [we] have planned with Latrina Denson and other departments on campus,” Ziegler said. “[It’s given] me a different perspective on … how impactful it is to be so involved in organizations like this and [in] community building.”
For Louis, Black History Month is an opportunity to bring together people of color on campus.
“It’s a really great chance to get to know people and relax from classes … We’re probably just gonna be sitting, having some snacks, chatting with other people [and] building conversations,” Louis said. “Honestly, you never know. You might have a lot of fun because so far I have and I haven’t regretted going … once.”
Each week of Black History Month is adorned with a unique theme: Black & supreme, Black & beloved, Black & authentic and Black & jovial. Every theme is carefully coordinated alongside APAU’s weekly Black History Movie Nights, including movies like “The Photograph,” “Pariah” and other Black and POC directed, led and produced films.
“It was nice to be able to see some board and body members after being away for so long,” Venesia Delancy ’22, Co-Chair for the APAU, said. “I’m honestly very happy with the work [Louis] has been doing on the movie nights. She and her co-coordinator [Zeigler] have been able to [successfully] coordinate each movie to the week’s theme.”
One of the month’s kickoff events was “Tips for Navigating Both Skin And Hair For People of Color,” led by Board Certified Dermatologist, Licensed Cosmetologist and Hair Loss Expert Dr. Yolanda Lenzy, M.D., M.P.H. The workshop touched on prioritizing diverse representation in the medical community and the importance of highlighting the nuances of skin care, hair care and presentation of skin disease in POC. Louis credits events like these as a reminder of the community education and cohesion she values. They make the College feel like a home.
“The reason why Mount Holyoke was my top choice is because of that sense of community that I felt from Mosaic [Living Learning Community], APAU … and Shirley [Chisholm LLC]. I just felt at home there. I feel like that’s hard to feel in this environment,” Louis continued. “We might have [COVID-19] restrictions but we can still … foster a sense of community with each other. I want to rebuild that sense of community that I saw before I even came here.”
Blackness takes its form in a myriad of bodies. In this diverse collegiate community, celebrating these differences is of paramount importance in ensuring narratives are not distorted by oversimplification and intersectional erasure. The APAU has adopted a “no man left behind” mentality.
“Whether it comes from my skin color, ideologies, religion, sexuality [or] gender, really everything comes into play with who we are as Black people in the Black community,” Louis commented. “Figuring out and hosting these events really, really [makes] sure that Black History Month is for every single person in the Black community or in the African diaspora. Everyone gets highlighted.”
In their organization of February’s festivities, Black History Month co-coordinators Louis and Zeigler are aiming to foster a sense of interconnectedness and fortification of the support system within Mount Holyoke’s Black community.
“I hope there [will be] more of a sense of connection, people putting more effort into supporting one another, getting to know other people [and] finding a group of people that they connect with,” Louis said.
A central goal of the APAU’s Black History Month celebration is keeping it just that — a celebration — no morbidity, no trauma. The APAU’s screening of the 2017 film “Girls Trip” is a testament to this objective. According to Ziegler, the organization aims to focus its conversations on the “jovial side of Black life.”
“Our goal is to show joy, [create] happiness and empower people. I want it to be fun, lively [and] just make everyone happy,” Louis commented. She also hopes students leave these events thinking, “Yeah, I’m Black. Black people are amazing.”
The APAU’s month-long celebration will end on Feb. 27 with the Black History Month Gala. The event, led by Ziegler and Louis, will be a shining display of opulence, talent and persistence. “We want to show Black luxury and that Black people can be bougie and luxurious, … look amazing … and just celebrate being Black,” Louis said. “We don’t really get to do that.”
Above all, the organization is concerned with inclusivity, celebration and community building. There is always a seat at the table in the APAU.
“I really wanted the Black community on campus to feel seen and heard and have a safe space on campus to bond with each other … This is a [predominantly white institution] [with] only a small population of Black people,” Ziegler explained. “I want there to be opportunity for us to just converse and enjoy each other’s company.”
“I’m still open for other people outside of the Pan-African community to also be allies or be happy for the Black people celebrating their culture … the target audience is the Black people on campus, but I’m just happy if everyone on campus can really celebrate Black people,” Ziegler said.
According to Louis, finding Black joy in the face of persistent oppressive forces is a radical act.
Louis said, “The best thing that we can do is be happy as Black people and celebrate Blackness – because, why not?”