Baruch College’s Black Student Union hosted an event called “Black and Brunch” on Feb. 27 in celebration of Black History Month. The attendees were given
brunch, games to play and music to de-stress as midterms begin.

“This was kind of just a chill event for people to just come and eat and just enjoy themselves before our Gala tomorrow,” BSU Treasurer Jenebou Sylla said when asked about what the goal of the event was. 

BSU wanted to give students an opportunity to just have some fun, relax and eat some food.

“Throughout the month, we have been pushing certain messages that we feel are important for the constituents to know and today we just kind of fell back on that a little bit given that it is the end of the month,” President of the BSU Jaleel Thomas said.

BSU has hosted events all throughout the month of February, which makes this event one of the last before the culmination of BHM at Baruch: “The Black Excellence Gala.” 

Peter Morgan | The Ticker

“I like that Baruch is doing all these Black History Month events. You talk about Black History Month in middle school and then you never really hear about it after that,” said freshman attendee Christopher Bivona-Maldonado. 

These events give students an opportunity to learn about Black History and connect with other black students at Baruch.

The event was delayed a bit as students started to fill in and the food was being prepared. 

The students played games like Uno and Dominoes while the food was getting ready and BSU’s President gave a little introduction, reminding students that they were there to celebrate black history before their big event the following night. 

Some students were anxious to eat, but once everything was prepared, it was worth it to most.

“It started really late … but I can’t complain, it was still fun, and the food was good and everything,” said Bivona-Maldonado. 

The attendants were served chicken and waffles with a few different options. There were regular chicken wings, as well as boneless and there was a choice of cinnamon, red velvet or crumble Oreo waffles. 

All of the food served was from Lash West Indian and American Cuisine, which is a West Indian Owned restaurant located in the Bronx. It was a big hit.

“I thought it was just going to be like the basic breakfast foods, but it was chicken and waffles which is the best combination, so amazing,” USG Vice President of Academic Affairs Brianna Staten, who was in attendance, said. 

Students should make an effort to attend Black History Month events not only for the food, but also for the culture and people you encounter and learn about when there, club members said. 

“Black history is American history … you should want to learn about what the foundation of this great country has been built on which has been through the work of black folks,” Thomas said. “All that to say, we want people to understand that our struggles and our issues are not so different from many other peoples’ who come into America … Therefore, come and conjugate with us, come and fellowship with us so you can learn more than what you see on the media, or what black is portrayed as throughout New York City.” 

The welcoming attitude of the organizers was definitely felt by the attendees throughout the event and contributed to the overall success of the event.

“This is a very nice open community; they accept everybody, and I like that there are a lot of other African Americans to connect with,” junior attendant Adji Diop said.