Culture, pride and performance filled Hofstra University’s Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center on Friday, Feb. 27, as the Black Leaders Advocating for Change (BLAC) Exhibition marked the last celebration of Black History Month on campus. Through works of art, performances and community gatherings, students and faculty came together to view and participate in the annual cultural exhibition.

Hofstra’s BLAC organization serves as a voice for the Black community on campus. The motto for the event was, “Tonight, we spotlight the heart of the Black diaspora.” This was BLAC’s third annual cultural exhibit at Hofstra. The event transformed the space into a place of art, community and identity.

According to BLAC e-board member Jean Pierre, a sophomore political science major, the decision to make the exhibit annual was intentional.

“This is annual because of the significance that Black culture does really have within us,” Pierre said. “It celebrates the Black students who have been here, who were here, who are here and who are still happy to arrive here.”

Pierre said that the exhibit served a purpose beyond celebration.

“We do this to send a message to the administration,” Pierre said. “There are Black students here. We are not invisible.”

The exhibit was divided into two sections: an art display and a live performance showcase. 

The art display featured walls which displayed various categories of paintings, films and sculptures that reflected Black pride, struggle and unity. Graduate student Catherine Roth, a mass media studies major, showcased several works ranging from paintings to 3D sculptures.

“The sculpture was something I haven’t really done before,” Roth said. “Grills are coming more into fashion now and people don’t really understand the meaning behind them, so it’s important to put it on display and give that message to people.”

One of Roth’s paintings was inspired by Haitian dance and kompa music. It blended movement and culture into art.

“When you can’t always speak, art gets to speak for you,” Roth said. “It’s a method of sending messages.”

DaeJa Young, a senior filmmaking major, showcased her award-winning documentary about her parents’ self-started soup kitchen in Dallas, Texas, which highlights poverty and food insecurity in the city.

“Dallas has a really high population of homeless individuals, and poverty is increasing every year,” Young said. “I took all the camera equipment and flew it to Dallas and documented my parents and grandparents’ cooking, planning and running the entire event.”

Young, who regularly attends the cultural exhibit, was invited to showcase her work this year by BLAC President, Aydan Smith, a senior international business major.

“I’ve always loved the cultural exhibit,” Young said. “I’ve come every year, but I’ve never shown my art here. It was a great opportunity.”

For students, the exhibit served to both educate and showcase a new view on art and storytelling.

Angelina Letellier, a freshman journalism major, said that she had originally attended the event for a class assignment but ended up finding a deeper appreciation for it.

“There are so many different voices and different types of art,” Letellier said. “It’s such a good learning experience to understand more about the community.”

She pointed to a piece honoring influential Black leaders as one of her favorites, saying that it “really showcases and highlights all the important people that have helped along the way.”

As the evening continued, the focus shifted from viewing artwork to viewing live performances that celebrated Black artistry. Jade Beaulieu, a junior psychology major with a pre-med track, performed a cover of “Alfie” by Dionne Warwick. Afterward, graduate law student Noah Henry performed original poetry, including a piece centered on Haitian culture. Strictly Stepping, Hofstra’s step performance group, delivered a fierce routine that had earlier been described by Smith as embodying “power, style [and] grace.”

There were games and activities, like Kahoot trivia, that tested attendees’ knowledge on Black clubs, campus history and cultural milestones. The winner received a BLAC shirt and a BLAC Eats meal of their choice. Attendees also participated in “human bingo,” a community-building activity that encouraged conversation and connection across the room.

Smith organized and performed in the showcase, closing the night with a rendition of “Plastic Love” by Mariya Takeuchi. She viewed the work of the cultural exhibition as both hard and rewarding work, especially the community formed at the exhibition. 

“When we create spaces like this, it reminds people that we are here and we are thriving,” Smith said. “We’re not just existing on campus; we’re contributing to it.”

Despite a delay in food service, students stayed, conversing among each other and building the idea of community.

“Seeing students stay, participate in the games [and] form a conga line, that’s what community looks like,” Smith said.

Smith also addressed the audience directly after the performances, acknowledging the broader social and political tensions currently happening in the world.

“There are lots of things going on that are threatening our rights, our way of life,” Smith said. “Now more than ever is not the time to step back or be quiet, but to step up and speak louder.”

As Black History Month comes to a close, the BLAC Exhibition served not only as a celebration of culture and creativity but as a reminder of advocacy, visibility and continued presence on campus.

“Black History Month is about soul,” Smith said. “It’s about resilience, creativity and joy even in spaces where we’ve had to fight to be heard.”