President Lamont Repollet Kicks Off Black History Month at Kean

By, Tyler Clark| Published by February 20, 2021

This year Kean University kicked off its first Black History Month with its first Black president on February 4th.

The virtual event was co-hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Kean P.U.L.S.E. Programming Board.

This was the first Black History Month for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion which was created in October 2020 by Kean President Lamont Repollet.

Erin Lester, Program Coordinator for Student Affairs for the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, said that her office has 25 events scheduled for Black History Month and will continue to schedule events after the month is over.

Lester noted that people of all races will be featured in future events.

“It’s important to have representation around the year. Not just of black people, of a multiple spectrum of people. Whether that is Black, West Indian, African, Asian descent, etc. Just a diverse body and including them is very important to us,” Lester said.

The highlight of the event was Dr. Repollet’s speech and reading of the proclamation. He gave his speech from Kean Hall, in front of a stained-glass window with light streaming in from behind.

“We all must recognize that Black history is American history, it is not separate from the nation’s struggle and progress. In fact, it is an integral part of what defines us as a nation,” Dr. Repollet said.

He showcased the newly created Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This office will ensure that everyone at Kean, not just students, can achieve their full potential by being treated fairly and equally.

The event also featured two spoken word performances by Kean students. The performers were Jordan Johnson, an English and Writing Major and Shawn Lawson, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2017.

The performances were in a pitch-black room with only a single source of light coming from behind the performers. Both performers spoke of their experiences of being Black and what Black History means to them. These performances were an inspiring celebration of Black culture in America.

The most unique part of the event took place from the Kean Stage. There were two drummers who played traditional African rhythms while a group of Kean students performed traditional African dances. This part of the event must be seen and heard to be fully experienced.

The songs being played had practical purposes as they were traditionally used to make people feel inspired or to celebrate events. The drummers and the dancers wore traditional African clothing with bold and vibrant colors such as red, purple, blue, and orange. This was an excellent way to showcase the influences of African American culture in America.

If you missed the event, there is a recording of it on the Kean Live Youtube page which can be found at this link: https://youtu.be/cbXsaIoj8c4

The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will be hosting many events during Black History Month and beyond. You can find them on Instagram @keandeioffice.

“Once those doors of opportunity open, you can’t shut them. You Kean Cougars can do the same. I want you to walk through those doors and climb higher in your own careers, work hard at Kean, take advantage of every opportunity we offer and please dream big,” Dr. Repollet said.

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