Pali’s Black Student Union (BSU) is celebrating Black History Month with a full calendar of virtual offerings through February spotlighting Black stories and experiences.

During each week of this 95th Black History Month, BSU is presenting a selection of movies, books, articles and YouTube videos that highlight achievements of Black figures in fields related to Pali’s eight academic departments — Physical Education (PE), Social Studies, Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA), English, Math, Science, Technology and World Language. 

“There are still injustices in America. We are not even close to being past that yet,” BSU co-president Dayzee Betton said. “Our goal is to strengthen the Black community… As Black students, we have our own hopes and dreams… and we want to encourage students and show them that they have power and influence.”

At BSU’s request, each department created a 5-minute video about Black trailblazers in its respective field to post on Schoology. The PE, Social Studies and VAPA departments honored the legacies of Muhammad Ali, Stacey Abrams and RuPaul, among others during the first two weeks of the month. 

BSU also posted a recommended reading list, including Michelle Alexander’s “The New Jim Crow” and Nina Simone’s autobiography “I Put A Spell On You.”

The student organization is also offering selected films through Teleparty, a service that allows mass viewing through streaming platforms. Among the titles streamed during the first two weeks were Regina King’s “One Night in Miami” and Spike Lee’s “He Got Game.” 

The schedule also features a catalog of YouTube videos and published articles about the Black experience, which are discussed during the Ethnic Studies Book Club meetings, which are facilitated by Campus Unification Director Gio Stewart, every Wednesday. Dedicated podcasts will be part of the program for the first time, dropping the first three Fridays of the month, starting with an episode by Pali alum and former BSU president Robert Peters.

“My favorite part of the first week was definitely the release of BSU’s first podcast,” BSU co-president Malia Mitchell said. “We had an amazing conversation about entrepreneurship and pursuing a career in business.”

This is the 60th celebration of Black History Month since Pali’s opening, one that Mitchell said is especially important in light of the Black Lives Matter movement coming to the forefront in the past year.

“I see it as an amazing time to reflect back on how far Black people have come from where we started in this country,” Mitchell said. “It’s a festive time to recognize and celebrate the achievements Black people have made while also acknowledging the fact that there is still work to be done in order to make it to where America is both a truly equal and equitable nation.”

Upcoming events include the “Hidden Figures” watch party on Feb. 19, the improv comedy show “Black History Improvised” on Feb. 20 and the annual BSU Showcase on Feb. 26. For more details, check the accompanying calendar.