AUSTIN FOLKERTSMA
campus editor
austin.folkertsma@my.tccd.edu

NW Campus hosted the 10th annual Celebrating Strides event March 4, highlighting and celebrating the importance of Black History Month.

Former professor of economics and business Robert McKizzie and the Equity and Inclusion Council started this event in 2012. 

The evening featured live performances by singer Quentin Moore, Bandan Koro African Drum and Dance and spoken word artist Mike Guinn. A dance and music performance by NW students also took place along with a barbecue by former SE student chef Sultan Karriem and his catering business Karriem’s Catering. 

“My favorite part was just the opportunity to see student talent and to see the different things that come from what our students learn,” NE student activities coordinator Cara Walker said. “It’s important for us to acknowledge and honor our history and the different cultures that are represented at our institution and our country.”

Walker enjoyed seeing people from different campuses come together and attend the event.

TR director of student development services Carter Bedford had been to multiple other Celebrating Strides in years past.

“I think it’s important, as a college, we celebrate the various cultures that are encompassed in the student body,” Bedford said. “As a district, we want to celebrate as many of our students as possible, and I think Dr. Blankenbaker said it better. She said, ‘If you want to let students know they belong, then one way to do that is to showcase their culture and ethnicity,’ and there are programs that do that.”

NW student activities coordinator Rachel McCloskey said she wants students to see themselves in the programs offered at TCC.

“We intentionally incorporated a bunch of different ways for students to experience culture via music, dance, spoken word and our keynote speaker,” she said. “Everyone spoke to a different part of Black history and Black culture, and we want people to find themselves in events.” 

McCloskey hopes the information presented was taken in by attendees.

“Our job as an educational institution is to give people things that they will take with them and they’ll carry it with them and get them through whatever they are going to face,” McCloskey said. 

Bedford’s favorite part of the event is how unique it is to each campus since the location changes every year.

NW student Iyana Washington said her dance performance was a representation of what she was feeling about something she’s going through. 

“One of my loved ones is in the hospital, and just going through the ups and downs and to see that struggle that happened is hard,” Washington said. “In life, you’re going to go through difficult times, so that’s why you have to pick yourself up and keep going.”