By Khadijah DuncanSPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The release of the film “Selma,” a biopic set in the Civil Rights era, and its current popularity partly due to the Golden Globe awarded song, “Glory” by Common an John Legend, heralded in this year’s Black History Month.
This year the multiple organizations at Hofstra are gearing up to celebrate February and dive deep into history.
The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination; to remove all barriers of racial discrimination through democratic processes and to inform the public of the adverse effects of racial discrimination and to seek its elimination.
Hofstra has a chapter based on campus and President Shannon Alomar asserts the importance of the NAACP, which helped on many cases such as Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown.
“The NAACP is not just important for people of color, it’s important for all people,” said Alomar. “It is one of the oldest organizations around fighting tooth and nail for justice for it. Whenever something is not right in the community, locally or globally, the NAACP bands together as an established voice to make a change and that is why I think it is such a powerful organization.”
The NAACP at Hofstra strives to help fill the gap. Their first general meeting is on Wednesday. Thursday marks the NAACP’s Founders’ Day and event that will ceremoniously highlight the accomplishments of the organization over the years.
“Our organizations stands for so much, but overall the NAACP core principles are rooted in the need for justice and equality for all people, especially those who are not given a fair chance to stand up for themselves,” said Alomar.
Alomar is also heavily involved with Collegiate Women of Color. The organization was established on campus in 2000 and has stayed strong until now. The purpose of the organization is to assemble women of all colors on Hofstra’s campus to discuss current events, women’s issues and create a sisterhood that often goes unnoticed.
“CWC is important because it gives women on Hofstra’s campus an opportunity to have a forum to discuss diverse topics with a group that eventually becomes your support system,” Alomar said.
On Feb. 26, Collegiate Women of Color will be bringing guest speaker and Hofstra alum Ekiswa Asemota to talk about how dance changed her life and will be adding a special surprise to get the audience off their feet and into the beat.
Another important aspect to African American culture is Greek Life. Alpha Phi Alpha is a brotherhood that has many greats among them: Thurgood Marshall, Duke Ellington, Cornel West and the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Since it’s founding on Dec. 4, 1906, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has supplied voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans and people of color around the world. It is the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. It was established by seven college men who recognized the need for a strong bond of brotherhood among African descendants in this country. Some of Alpha Phi Alpha’s principles include scholarship, fellowship, good character and the uplifting of humanity.
When speaking to Rashad Prescod, the Vice President of the Xi Psi Chapter at Hofstra University, he mentioned and encouraged students to attend some great and educational events.
“Xi Psi Chapter recently partnered with the NAACP to bring ‘Black Angels Over Tuskegee’ to Hofstra,” said Prescod. “On March 11, look forward to their Women’s Appreciation Dinner and also attend ‘Miss Black and Gold’ Informational.”
