At around 8 a.m. on Monday, long white buses arrived at a church in the middle of a quite isolated area in Kingston. The day was cold and windy. But as soon as the doors of the bus opened and hundreds of people of color, who were all dressed in their finest all-black outfits, departed and entered the church, it was as though life was breathed into the once gray, cold and silent day.
At around 8 a.m. on Monday, long white buses arrived at a church in the middle of a quiet isolated area in Kingston. The day was cold and windy. But as soon as the doors of the bus opened and hundreds of people of color, who were all dressed in their finest all-black outfits, departed and entered the church, it was as though life was breathed into the once gray, cold and silent day.
On Nov. 4, hundreds of students, teachers and faculty members gathered at Pointe of Praise Church between 8:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. to commemorate Black Solidarity Day.
Black Solidarity Day is always the first Monday in November. It was initiated in 1969 by Dr. Carlos Russell, a former professor at Brooklyn College.
Russell was inspired by a play “A Day of Absence,” written and produced by Douglas Turner Ward. It depicts a small southern town experiencing the consequences of the unexpected absence of the Black community, illuminating the “you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone” mentality.
Black Solidarity Day has been observed at SUNY New Paltz since 1971.
“The highs of the day came from the student-led workshops which focused on Black Nationalism. These workshops focused on either Black creativity, investing in Black businesses and going into depth about someone’s cultural make up,” said Black Student Union President Miles Figaro.
As people of color and their allies sat in the red pews before a big golden cross for the workshop session, they learned more about the definition and importance of this year’s theme: Black Nationalism. Black Nationalism, avidly driven by figures like Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X, is activism that focuses on ensuring economic self-sufficiency and racial pride within the Black community.
“People of African descent have been marginalized here in America as it relates to their American experience. They have tended to create different communities in which they value each other as human beings in a broader social and cultural context that devalue their humanity,” said Professor of Black Studies Anthony Dandridge.
One example of practicing Black Nationalism is buying from Black-owned businesses in order to uplift the Black community. Although Black people compose 13% of the U.S. population, they purchase 85% of hair products on the market. If those $2.56 billion were put exclusively into Black-owned businesses, it would help the Black economy tremendously.
“There was one workshop on Black economics, talking about economic issues, the power of the Black community as it relates to their value of their dollar and buying Black,” Dandridge recalled. “There were certain things that I added like remember the importance of your credit and buy things that tend to appreciate as opposed to depreciate.”
Attendants were advised to take out a credit card. Credit scores are statistically lower for members of the Black community, with 48% of Black people’s credit scores falling within the range considered “bad.” This poor credit impacts their ability to buy cars and homes at affordable prices. To avoid this, attendants learned to take out credit cards early but to only use 30% or less of the allowed amount. By inspiring people of color to take charge of their finances and to pursue both financial excellence and financial freedom, the mission of uplifting the black community economically was fulfilled.
One of the most beloved and cherished portions of the day was the annual karibu ceremony. Karibu is a Swahili word meaning “welcome.” During the ceremony, each person in the room hugs everyone while saying, “karibu.”
Jordan Hennix, a second-year psychology major, attests that “just being able to share that little time with someone that’s a part of your community felt amazing because not only are we having that human connection with each other, but we’re also acknowledging that we’re all going through the same things together and we can persevere together if we have each other’s backs.”
To further stand in solidarity with the Black community, Dandridge recommends that the university makes it mandatory for students to take a race and racism course.
“Given the significance of race and racism in America as a whole and the different ways that it enforces particular burdens and benefits onto others based upon skin color, I think it’s important for us to engage in a way in which we educate individuals about these realities as a way to undermine racism in our community,” Dandridge said. “Mandating courses on race whether or not they are in the Black Studies Department or some other department, I think would play a significant role in the education, which is also the socialization process for our students. At the end of the day, we’ll help not only the university but help our nation develop and be more progessive.”
To support the cause, support the Black Studies Department, buy from Black-owned businesses and learn more about the history of Black Nationalism.
On Nov. 4, hundreds of students, teachers and faculty members gathered at Pointe of Praise Church between 8:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. to commemorate Black Solidarity Day.
Black Solidarity Day is always the first Monday in November. It was initiated in 1969 by Dr. Carlos Russell, a former professor at Brooklyn College.
Russell was inspired by a play “A Day of Absence,” written and produced by Douglas Turner Ward. It depicts a small southern town experiencing the consequences of the unexpected absence of the Black community, illuminating the “you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone” mentality.
Black Solidarity Day has been observed at SUNY New Paltz since 1971.
“The highs of the day came from the student-led workshops which focused on Black Nationalism. These workshops focused on either Black creativity, investing in Black businesses and going into depth about someone’s cultural make up,” said Black Student Union President Miles Figaro.
As people of color and their allies sat in the red pews before a big golden cross for the workshop session, they learned more about the definition and importance of this year’s theme: Black Nationalism. Black Nationalism, avidly driven by figures like Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X, is activism that focuses on ensuring economic self-sufficiency and racial pride within the Black community.
“People of African descent have been marginalized here in America as it relates to their American experience. They have tended to create different communities in which they value each other as human beings in a broader social and cultural context that devalue their humanity,” said Professor of Black Studies Anthony Dandridge.
One example of practicing Black Nationalism is buying from Black-owned businesses in order to uplift the Black community. Although Black people compose 13% of the U.S. population, they purchase 85% of hair products on the market. If those $2.56 billion were put exclusively into Black-owned businesses, it would help the Black economy tremendously.
“There was one workshop on Black economics, talking about economic issues, the power of the Black community as it relates to their value of their dollar and buying Black,” Dandridge recalled. “There were certain things that I added like remember the importance of your credit and buy things that tend to appreciate as opposed to depreciate.”
Attendants were advised to take out a credit card. Credit scores are statistically lower for members of the Black community, with 48% of Black people’s credit scores falling within the range considered “bad.” This poor credit impacts their ability to buy cars and homes at affordable prices. To avoid this, attendants learned to take out credit cards early but to only use 30% or less of the allowed amount. By inspiring people of color to take charge of their finances and pursue both financial excellence and financial freedom, the mission of uplifting the black community economically was fulfilled.
One of the most beloved and cherished portions of the day was the annual karibu ceremony. Karibu is a Swahili word meaning “welcome.” During the ceremony, each person in the room hugs hugs everyone while saying, “karibu.”
Jordan Hennix, a second-year psychology major, attests that “just being able to share that little time with someone that’s a part of your community felt amazing because not only are we having that human connection with each other, but we’re also acknowledging that we’re all going through the same things together and we can persevere together if we have each other’s backs.”
To further stand in solidarity with the Black community, Dandridge recommends that the university makes it mandatory for students to take a race and racism course.
“Given the significance of race and racism in America as a whole and the different ways that it enforces particular burdens and benefits onto others based upon skin color, I think it’s important for us to engage in a way in which we educate individuals about these realities as a way to undermine racism in our community,” Dandridge said. “Mandating courses on race whether or not they are in the Black Studies Department or some other department, I think would play a significant role in the education, which is also the socialization process for our students. At the end of the day, we’ll help not only the university but help our nation develop and be more progessive.”
To support the cause, support the Black Studies Department, buy from Black-owned businesses and learn more about the history of Black Nationalism.
BSD Reflections:
“[My favorite part was] the way in which we express joy in that particular space. There were a lot of smiles, there were a lot of hugs, they played music. You had faculty members, you had students, you had people from the community all up on stage dancing together so that was particularly joyful and it will always be memorable.”
— Anthony Dandridge
“What was great was the community, unity and family that was created throughout the day through our events, speeches and activities. It created a loving environment as people sang, danced, shared experiences and become closer to one another.”
— Miles Figaro
“I felt more included. Sometimes, being on a college campus, it’s like so many things going on, you never have time for yourself and it’s like going to events such as that one and being able to just having human connection for even just like 15 minutes sometimes is enough.” — Jordan Hennix
“The goal BSD plans to achieve is unity and acceptance. Everyone who attends are to feel welcomed, loved and respected no matter the color of your skin, sexual orientation or religious beliefs. We are all people, and in order to progress, we must learn to love and understand each other.” — Miles Figaro
— Anthony Dandridge
“What was great was the community, unity & family that was created throughout today through our events, speeches and activities. It created a loving environment as people sang, danced, shared experiences and become closer to one another.”
— Miles Figaro
“I felt more included. Sometimes, being on a college campus, it’s like so many things going on, you never have time for yourself and it’s like going to events such as that one and like being able to like, like, just having human connection for even just like 15 minutes sometimes is enough.”
— Jordan Hennix
“The goal BSD plans to achieve is unity and acceptance. Everyone who attends are to feel welcomed, loved and respected no matter the color of your skin, sexual orientation or religious beliefs. We are all people, and in order to progress, we must learn to love and understand each other.”
— Miles Figaro