Unapologetically Black

Join us as we kick off the celebration of Black History Month with the Grand Re-Opening of the Black Student Coalition! Light Breakfast at 10AM, program begins at 10:30AM.

This event is intended for all participants, including those with apparent or non-apparent disabilities.  Live captioning services will be available for this event, but for all other disability accommodation(s) (such as ASL interpretation, etc.) please contact Amy Westmoreland, westmoa2@wwu.edu. Advanced notice is appreciated and sometimes necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.

Sponsored by the WWU Alumni Association: ‘Why Canada Matters’ Speaker Series: Through an intimate exploration of the roots of Black identities in North America and the routes taken by those who have crisscrossed the world’s longest undefended border in search of freedom and belonging, this lecture journeys back and forth across the Canada/US border, and from coast to coast, combining memoir and analysis to highlight the tensions, contradictions, translations, and complications that anchor our understandings of race. Across time and space, this research asks: where is home for those of African descent, and is belonging within the confines of the nation-state either possible or desirable? Special guest Dr. Debra Thompson, Associate Professor of Political Science and Canada Research Chair in Racial Inequality in Democratic Societies at McGill University.

Learn more and Register for Roots, Routes, and Reckonings

More C/AM Speaker Series

Continue the celebration of the grand reopening with a luncheon in the MCC Kitchen space. During this time you will be able to write letters to future Black Students and add to our BSC time capsule.

The Black Lives Matter at School Conference is from January 30 - February 3.

Keynote Speaker Jesse Hagopian “Black Education Matters” on February 2 and 11:00 AM. This talk provides the historical context for the current Black Lives Matter at School movement to show how the struggle for Black education can help redefine the American school system

Art showcase with food and live music highlighting our Black student artists. Transportation will be provided from the Viking Union. Pickup: Outside of the Outdoor Center 5:30PM & 5:40PM

Learn about intersectionality and saliency through this interactive workshop.

Learn about the experiences of the first Black students at Western from an archival perspective. Lunch provided.

MCC Luncheon with conversation focused on the health and wellbeing of athletes.

WWU Dance hosts Marcia Meade (Dance Theatre of Harlem) for a ballet class via Zoom and Q and A about her career and shifting the racist history of ballet. Marcia Meade hails from South Orange, New Jersey. Growing up she trained technically at the Dance Theatre of Harlem where she went on to perform both Classical and Contemporary works. She is currently serving on faculty at Steps Youth Programs teaching Classical Ballet, Hip-Hop and Pilates. An ABT NTC Certified Teacher Marcia grounds her Classical Ballet teaching style in their method. She partnered with the Global Arts Initiative(GAIN) and the Hudson Guild to bring dance into public schools in NYC. While continuing her education, Marcia received her Mat and Comprehensive Pilates Certification at Power Pilates and later went on to join the Fam at Obe Fitness a premium digital fitness and lifestyle platform. She works in the commercial field as a Dancer and Model. She Graduated from Rutgers University with a bachelors degree in Political Science and is happy to call Brooklyn her home.

Observers are welcome in the studio, and intermediate and advanced dancers are invited to take class. Dancers can email susan.haines@wwu.edu to reserve your spot.

Men’s Basketball game 7PM. Limited supply of free tickets; available to WWU Students only.

WWU is participating in the Black-led celebration of Frederick Douglass’ birthday by hosting Douglass Day, an event of commemoration and collective action. Come and celebrate Frederick Douglass’ birthday and the work of Mary Ann Shadd Cary in the MCC MultiPurpose Room on February 14, 2023. Stop by for just a while or join us for the full event!

This year’s Douglass Day features will include a streaming live broadcast with talks on the legacies of Douglass and Shadd, a birthday cake celebration with cake decorating a raffle, and most importantly, a transcribe-a-thon where you can help provide access to the paper of Mary Ann Shadd Cary. Sponsored by; The Black Student Coalition, WWU National Society of Black Engineers, English Department, History Department, Western Libraries, Center for Canadian-American Studies, Global Humanities and Religions Department, Political Science Department, Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program, Fairhaven College, Whatcom CARE, The Ray Wolpow Institute for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Crimes Against Humanity.

For more information or to request disability accommodation, contact: DouglassDay@wwu.edu. Can't make it in person? Join us online for the livestream and transcribe-a-thon! Register to participate remotely.

This weekly MCC Community Lunch event will feature a conversation with the Disability Outreach Center focusing on intersections of neurodiversity and Blackness.

Level Up Your Visit: Establishing Care and Following Up

Navigating higher education while juggling your mental health, having an active social life, taking classes, and potentially having a job is tough. The way we craft our own narratives and tell them as storytellers deeply informs our past, present, and future. In this talk, we will explore how knowing, recording, and sharing your own personal story can help you in your individual journey through college and beyond. The talk will also delve into the work that Intersectional Environmentalist does as an environmental justice education organization and intersectionality as a theory deeply rooted in the works of Kimberlé Crenshaw and the Combahee River Collective. An open Q+A with the class will follow after the talk.

Have a taste of Southern style cuisine with traditional foods for Mardi Gras. Served in the Viking Commons.

As the Black community has been faced with numerous struggles and successes recently and throughout our entire history, how do we effectively look back on our history with an intersectional lens? This talk will highlight several pivotal moments in time where joy and radically imagining a better future for our community created effective change.

Women’s Basketball game 7PM. Limited supply of free tickets available.

Join us for the 20th Annual Children’s Literature Conference featuring Renée Waston. Renée Watson is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, educator, and community activist. Her books have sold over one million copies. Her young adult novel, Piecing Me Together (Bloomsbury, 2017) received a Coretta Scott King Award and Newbery Honor. Her children's picture books and novels for teens have received several awards and international recognition. She has given readings and lectures at many renown places including the United Nations, the Library of Congress, and the U.S. Embassy in Japan and New Zealand. Her poetry and fiction centers around the experiences of Black girls and women, and explores themes of home, identity, and the intersections of race, class, and gender. Other featured authors include Michaela Goade (Shanyaak’utlaax: Salmon Boy), Donna Higuera (The Last Cuentista), and Sydney Smith (I Talk Like A River). Partial and full scholarships for registration fees are available for all students.

Register for the Children's Literature Conference

Close out the observance of Black History Month at the Legacy Ball! There will be dinner, music, a keynote, and more! Formal/fancy attire is encouraged but not required.

This event is intended for all participants, including those with apparent or non-apparent disabilities.  Live captioning services will be available for this event, but for all other disability accommodation(s) (such as ASL interpretation, etc.) please contact Amy Westmoreland, westmoa2@wwu.edu. Advanced notice is appreciated and sometimes necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.

RSVP for the Legacy Ball

The English Department will host Dr. Crystal Rudds. “Invisibility Blues: Interiors and Interiority in Public Housing Narratives" examines depictions of housing in narratives ranging from Gloria Naylor's 1980s Brewster Place trilogy to Barry Jenkins' 2016 film Moonlight. Focusing on the latter, Rudds argues that urban films that feature public housing as a setting draw dissembling portraits of Black masculinity while seeming to tell all about public housing spaces. Moonlight’s aesthetic defamiliarization sets it apart and helps us think through the problem of (re)producing the private spaces of Black men for public consumption. Dr. Crystal S. Rudds is Assistant Professor of English at The University of Utah. She served as the assistant editor of the oral history, High Rise Stories: Voices from Chicago Public Housing (2013) and is currently working on a book project that explores representations of public housing in film, African American literature, photography, and ethnographic narratives.

Social gathering to celebrate being Black in Bellingham. Space intended for students, faculty, staff, and community members that share this identity.

Join us as we explore the art of Black Resistance centered in Joy. Part one will be a series of outdoor shoots. Come be a part of the history of the BSC. Wear bright clothes or something that brings you joy. Feel free to bring your own props!

Mandatory Pre-trip meeting is on February 7 from 5-7pm in the Black Student Coalition Community Space (VU 504), the Excursion is an all day trip on February 11.

Come join us in exploring the beautiful snowy outdoors on snowshoes while connecting with other BIPOC-identifying students! This space centers those who identify as BIPOC, and all are welcome. Basic hiking / walking skills. No prior snowshoeing experience required. Sign up for the trip in the Outdoor Center (Viking Union 150)!

Join us as we explore the art of Black Resistance centered in Joy. Part two will be a series of indoor shoots, including headshots. Come be a part of the history of the BSC. Wear bright clothes or something that brings you joy. Feel free to bring your own props!

Join us for a Superbowl watch party to commemorate Rihanna’s halftime performance. We will be providing snacks, drinks, games, and space to share with friends as we stream the game and focus on Rihanna’s performance.

Learn more about efficient ways to utilize Degree Works and all it’s benefits.

Get help registering for class with an Academic Advisor from AAC. Satellite drop-in sessions will be in the BSC.

Get help registering for class with an Academic Advisor from AAC. Satellite drop-in sessions will be in the BSC.