The month of February marks the official Black History Month, which commemorates and celebrates the milestones achieved by the African American community throughout the nation’s history.
The tradition began in 1915, nearly 50 years after the establishment of the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery in the U.S. In 1926, the now known as Association for the Study of African American Life and History, began a national week to celebrate African Americans during the second week of February. Following the civil rights movement, the week grew to Black History Month, according to History.
In May 1956, Christiana Smith made history as the first African American to graduate from the then Southeastern Louisiana Institute (SLI). In her honor, in 1992, the Christiana Smith Alumni Chapter was formed, which has now grown to host several events, scholarships and social engagement to alumni. The Chapter dedicated a bridge in Smith’s name located at the Alumni Center in June 2024.
However, the integration movement began in 1953, when four black students Clara Dell Constantine, Martha Conway, Shirley Taylor and Charles Vincent Singleton were prohibited from registering at SLI.
Constantine v. SLI (1954), a lawsuit the four students filed against the Institute for denying their entrance due to their race, was an integral part in desegregating southern colleges and universities. On Sept. 10, 1954, SLI became the first all-white, state-funded college in the South to integrate, admitting 80 African American students, including the four plaintiffs.
The Pillars of Progress, dedicated in 2004 located on Rex St., pay tribute to the four students involved in Constantine v. SLI (1954) for the principles of courage, faith, knowledge and justice that they displayed.
Each of the students were honored with a pillar: Constantine is the pillar of Courage, Conway is the pillar of Justice, Taylor is the pillar of Faith and Singleton is the pillar of Knowledge.
In 2023, the ninth marker along the Louisiana Civil Rights Trail, was unveiled at the Pillars of Progress. The marker highlights Black students’ efforts to attend SLI and lead the way to desegregate college athletics.
The Office for Campus Inclusion recognizes and supports Black History Month. Campus celebrations include the Cultural Connections Board’s “Afrofest: A Celebration of Music, Art, and Culture” that occurred on Feb. 19, Black Student Union Week, a week full of events such as Black history trivia, board meetings and karaoke night and more, and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Epsilon Beta Chapter’s Hair Care Donation Drive.
The Epsilon Beta Chapter asks the University community to donate edge control, bobby pins, scrunchies, headbands, hair moisturizer and other Black hair care products to the Epsilon Beta cubicle in the Office of Student Engagement by Feb. 26.
The Vermilion recognizes the contributions the University’s Black students, faculty and staff have made towards the advancement of the campus community, Louisiana and the nation’s history.