The annual celebration of Black History Month at The College of New Jersey will begin on Wednesday, January 31 at noon with the raising of the Pan-African flag outside of Trenton Hall and an opening ceremony featuring representatives from TCNJ’s Black Student Union, TCNJ’s NAACP chapter, and more.
The flag has served as a representation of Black people since early in the 19th century, and the flag raising ceremony is an annual tradition symbolic of freedom and progression amongst those within the African Diaspora.
The event will include remarks from Loudine Charles ’24, BSU vice president; Diamond Urey ’24, BSU president, and James A. Felton III, vice president for inclusive excellence. The ceremony will also feature a reading by Tara Richardson ’25, president of TCNJ NAACP, and a performance of “Life Every Voice and Sing” — often referred to as the Black National Anthem — by Jazailis Gual ’24.
The ceremony signifies the start of a monthlong celebration of education and social events on campus, including a teach-in on Afrofuturism with African American Studies and English Professor Piper Kendrix Williams; voice performance by TCNJ faculty artist Brandi Diggs; and a keynote address by Ruha Benjamin, professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, as part of the 3rd Annual Excellence in Teaching and Learning Summit.
All members of the campus community are invited to participate in the scheduled events. See the full calendar of events for more details and registration information (where applicable).
The series is organized by the Black History Month Planning Committee and coordinated by the Division of Inclusive Excellence, TCNJ BSU, and African American Studies. All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.