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Soul food, poetry, and cultural unity at LBCC Black Heritage Month event

By Alexis Bruschi, Corey Robinson and Isaiah Zuniga

Students gathered to experience and learn about African American culture and history at an annual observance of Black Heritage Month at the A-Quad of the Long Beach City College Liberal Arts Campus on Feb. 13.

The Viking Summer Voyage served students mac and cheese, peach cobbler, fried chicken, cornbread and other food.

Imani Gordon, an LBCC student who was working at the booth for the UMOJA Club, performed a poem titled “Dreams,” where she highlighted some of her favorite historic African American heroes.   

Gordon enjoyed the cultural unity the event inspired.

“It is important to shed light on what our people have been through, to come together and be around people who share the same culture and join together to embrace it,” Gordon said.

The UMOJA Club, LBCC Transfer Center, TRIO, the LBCC dance community and other programs had booths at the event.

UMOJA is a scholars program that allows African American students to unite and give back to the Long Beach community.

Members of the LBCC dance community performed a traditional South African dance.

The scholarship office provided information for off-campus scholarship opportunities for African American students at the event.

Dean O. Lee Douglas, who leads the language arts and communications school at LBCC, said the theme for Black Heritage Month this year is “African Americans and the Vote.”

LBCC counselor Kashara Moore spoke about the importance of voting on issues like rent control to decrease the homeless problem in California during the 2020 Census, and encouraged students to look into SB-10. 

“It doesn’t cost a dime, just your time,” she said.

Student Anthony Moguel said his favorite part of the event was sharing in the atmosphere and being surrounded by culture. 

“It is important to come together and appreciate all of the sacrifices made throughout history,” Moguel said.

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