The Black Student Union opened Black History Month with its annual Taste of Soul during lunch Tuesday, Feb. 3, inviting students to sample home-cooked dishes brought in by the affinity group’s members. Students lined up the courtyard as BSU members served desserts such as beignets, pound cake and sweet potato pie, alongside savory dishes including jollof rice and shrimp creole.
This year’s National Black History month theme, “A Century of Black History Commemorations,” honored the 100th anniversary of the first Black History Week in Febuary 1926. BSU executive board member Alexa Grant (’26) said the Taste of Soul event was designed to showcase the diversity within Black cuisine.
“I think it’s important because a lot of the times there are stereotypes about what what foods Black people eat or just a lot of things that can be predetermined,” Grant said. “I think it’s a great way for us to educate and also expand people’s taste buds to things they haven’t tasted before. We had a lot — we had a wide variety of traditional African American foods and soul food, as well as African foods. I think it’s just a great way to expand people’s minds as well as their taste palettes.”
This is junior Milan Earl’s (’27) first year on the BSU executive board, though she has been involved with the club since sixth grade. Earl said the Taste of Soul event offered an opportunity for students at a predominantly white institution to experience Black culture firsthand.
“I think the importance of BSU holding events like the Taste of Soul is just us sharing our culture, especially in a PWI,” Earl said. “Many people don’t get to experience Black culture on a day‑to‑day basis, and just being able to see Black culture thrive and being able to share their culture and share good food is really meaningful.”
Senior Serenity Jones (’26), a BSU member, said the club has provided a crucial sense of belonging during her time at Archer. She said the affinity group has given her a space to share more about her experiences as a student of color at a predominantly white school.
“I think it’s allowed me to connect with the community at a PWI because it’s hard to find someone that will understand all of your experiences,” Jones said. “It allowed for me to have a space where I could talk openly and freely about different things that have happened to me in regards to my race.”
Grant said being part of BSU means expanding the school’s understanding of Black culture and current events while giving the community a deeper understanding of what it means to be Black — both broadly and within the context of Archer.
“To me, being a part of the Black Student Union is about educating Archer about what it means to be Black, what it means to be Black at Archer, current events,” Grant said, “whatever is relevant when it comes to Black history, current or past, as well as just connecting with other Black students at Archer.”
As the Black Student Union holds more events, such as the BSU Black Arts Fest, Earl said she encourages the community to embrace and appreciate cultures beyond their own.
“I want the community’s takeaways to be joy and the importance of culture and embracing and appreciating other people’s culture,” Earl said. “You can like other people’s culture but also appreciate it and take it in.”
