Last night, the Brandeis Black Student Organization (BBSO) held the opening ceremony for Black History Month, with over 80 students in attendance. "This month defines, embodies and recognizes the black struggle and symbolizes its triumph," said BBSO secretary and opening ceremony coordinator Kranthi Palreddy '05. The event was held in the Napoli Room in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center.In her introduction to the event, Palreddy said, "Today marks the beginning of a new beginning for the Brandeis Black Student Organization."

Three BBSO members, Alana Hamlett '06, Tara Mathis '03 and Amatullah Morgan '06, presented a skit to describe the history of Black History Month both nationally and at Brandeis.

Hamlett said the origins of Black History Month lie in the 1926 creation of Negro History Week. She said Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a Harvard graduate and a son of slaves, was instrumental in founding the week dedicated to black history. "He decided to take on the challenge of entering the contributions of black Americans into history," Hamlett said.

Hamlett also explained why February was chosen as the particular month in which to celebrate black history. Many important milestones in black history have occurred in February, including the birth of W.E.B. DuBois in 1868, the passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870, the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909 and a 1960 sit-in at a Greensboro, N.C. Woolworth's.

Next, Mathis discussed the history of black students at Brandeis. "Brandeis began to acknowledge the struggles of black Americans -- particularly scholars," beginning in the 1950s, according to Mathis.

In the 1960s, Mathis said, the Justice sent writers to Mississippi. "Black students at Brandeis wanted to make their voices heard," she said, adding that this led to the 10-day takeover of Ford Hall in 1969. Following the takeover, the African and African American Studies department was created.

Morgan spoke next, describing the contributions BBSO has made to the Brandeis campus. "BBSO, in a sense, has been a safe haven for its active members," she said. "The future of Black History Month and BBSO at Brandeis, in my eyes, is a very promising one ... We are only moving forward; anything less would be unacceptable."

Following the presentation, a buffet dinner was served.

BBSO members said they were pleased by the event's outcome. "I had a lot of high expectations, because I wanted Brandeis to take a new leap this year. I think our black student organization is great," Palreddy said.

Justin Moore '04, president of BBSO, said he appreciated the different format of this year's opening ceremony. "Tonight was very good, because it was unique," he said. "The girls implemented a speech and a skit creatively and beautifully."

BBSO member Nyssa Thomas '03 said she thought it was great that students ran the event, instead of having a speaker, as in years past.

Moore said this year's attendance level was similar to past years. "We usually expect 80 to 100 people every year, and this is no different. We filled just about every seat," he said. He praised Palreddy's planning skills, saying that she did a wonderful job coordinating the event.

Suzie Talukdar '96, the Intercultural Center (ICC) director, said she attended BBSO events while a student, but "there seems to be a lot more unity at this point with BBSO, which I'm very excited about." She added that the event was planned entirely by BBSO. "I can't take any credit for what's happened tonight," she said. "They meet on a weekly basis, even if there is no event to plan for, so it's all them, and they've done a fabulous job."

Moore added that the opening ceremony is only the first of many events planned for Black History Month. He said BBSO has planned eight events, including the Blackout, a talent showcase that will take place Saturday night. "We're trying to do something big, we're trying to do something new, we're trying to put a stamp on this month," he said. "This month belongs to BBSO, and we are the primary teachers and leaders to teach the Brandeis community about black ideas, and educate them.