In an effort to provide more cultural opportunities during MSU's homecoming festivities, the Black Student Alliance, or BSA, and the African American Celebratory are holding several events this week.
The festivities, called the African American Homecoming, will include events such as discussions, a jazz night and a semiformal dance.
The theme for the week is "98/89", which represents the 98 years since Myrtle Craig became the first black female graduate of Michigan Agricultural College — MSU's former name — in 1907.
It also represents the May 1989 study-in, when several black students took over the Administration Building for 10 days to present administrators with a list of 36 demands pertaining to racial incidents on campus, history senior and BSA member at large Geneva Thomas said.
Many black students frequently return home on weekends or attend other university homecoming events at other schools, such as Howard University in Washington, D.C., Thomas said.
"People go home every weekend, and homecoming is not an exception," she said. "We need more cultural events (at MSU) for students to say, 'I see myself in that celebration.' We need to be more a part of the atmosphere."
A few of the events are scheduled for the same time as university-sponsored homecoming events.
Many members of BSA participated in the sesquicentennial parade, social relations senior and BSA President Jasmine Gary said.
Keith Williams, executive director of the MSU Alumni Association, said although he wasn't contacted concerning the cultural aspect of the university's homecoming festivities or to cosponsor activities, he supported the idea of the African American Homecoming.
"The homecoming is a time for groups to express their individual interests and needs, and I think that there is no set program," Williams said. "You have many groups that have expressed them in many ways."
Having many events scheduled at the same time is not a problem, Williams said.
"It's good we have a range of activities and a range of options to meet the range of interests of the students," he said.
Gary said the idea to have the homecoming festivities has been talked about for years and is not meant to include only black students.
"This isn't to segregate — we want to be in the best interest of students and have activities pertinent to them to spark their interest," Gary said. "We aren't saying they are black and should have a different experience. We want them to feel warm and welcomed. It's the overall sense of homecoming to intermingle and feel comfortable."
Marini Lee, a graduate teacher education student, said she plans to attend the events that pertain to the 10-day study-in in 1989.
"I am interested in what the students in 1989 felt were issues of importance for them, and I wanted to know if they were similar to issues African American students face today," Lee said. "I want to see if things that I am experiencing now are the same and to think about ways to help the administration address these concerns and issues."
Thomas said she already purchased her dress for the dance and hopes students attend the events.
"Everyone is really excited — I don't know if this has been done in the past," she said. "We are coming together as a community to do this."
For a full list of events, please see www.calsnet.com/bsa_msu.
