The Black Resource Center at UCSD Kicks off Black History Month with a Bang!

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By Tj Dunnivant
Staff Writer

Last Friday, January 31, UCSD’s Black Resource Center held an opening celebration to jump start the Black History month festivities on campus.
This year’s opening ceremony included live music from popular spoken-word artist and live band, Lyrical Groove, several keynote speakers and a Black Greek-style step exhibition. BRC member Brea Campos stated, “We had so many more participants this year than we did in the years past. I believe it was due to the Black history fliers we handed out during the days leading up to the event.”

Newly appointed Director, Stacia Smith Solomon, could not have been more pleased. Since her appointment in Spring 2013, Solomon’s main goal has been to build inclusion programs and bridge partnerships that will aid African American and all UCSD students in receiving academic support in every way while they are on campus.

One of the partnerships that Solomon acted upon right away was the relationship between the BRC and UCSD’s Black athletes. So this year they made sure that part of the opening celebration included a meet and greet with the UDSD Triton men and women’s basket ball teams.

The meet and greet took place before the Triton game against Cal Polly State. Head Coach, Eric Olen of the Triton men’s team and Athletic Director, Earl Edwards was also in the room filled with food, beverages and good cheer. “I’m very excited about the program Stacia is building at the BRC,” Earl Edwards explained, “I want to be personally involved especially with the outreach to High School students-athletes throughout San Diego.”

As the women’s game started, members, supporters and alumni trickled in to cheer the Lady Triton’s into a tied-up fourth quarter. Upset by a three-point loss, the crowd stayed to cheer the men’s team next. As the athletes warmed-up you could see why the bridge to accumulating some of San Diego’s star athletes coming from schools such as CIF dominated Lincoln High was more than needed. The UCSD men’s team also suffered a loss at the hands of Cal Poly State.

However, BRC students and members were all smiles as they anticipated all the other exciting and planned activities for the month. One such activity will be the honored presence of Angela Davis on January 22. For more information, be sure to follow UCSD Black History month stories and updates throughout this month in The SD Voice & Viewpoint or like the
Black Resource Center on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/brcucsd.