Jaqua Exhibit Marks Black History Month
02/20/17 | O Heroes, @GoDucksMoseley
Student-athletes conceived of and produced an exhibit of notable figures in African-American history being displayed this month.
Black History Month is being marked in the Jaqua Academic Center with an exhibit recognizing notable figures in African-American history, organized and produced by student-athletes.
This week features the third in a series of three emplacements throughout the first floor of the Jaqua Center. The installation was the brain child of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee's "BEOREGON committee," named for the athletic department's inclusiveness campaign launched this academic year.
Each week, a series of five easels erected throughout the first floor has displayed a significant figure or moment in African-American history, from activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, to the "Little Rock Nine," who helped integrate that city's school district.
Softball outfielder Cherish Burks, who chairs the BEOREGON committee along with football defensive back Sean Killpatrick, said the idea for the installation occurred to them after a viewing of the movie "Hidden Figures," about female African-American mathematicians and their impact on the space race.
"It's a way to educate both student-athletes and others, just let them know about important figures that may not have been spotlighted in history, and how big of an impact they made," Killpatrick said.
The committee made a point not to include athletes or entertainers, although this week's third and final rotation includes Ava DuVernay, director of the documentary "13th," about racial inequality in the criminal justice system.
"We emphasize athletes a lot, and the 'Hidden Figures' movie shows that there's more to black people than just being an athlete," Burks said. "We wanted to show people there's other occupations, without being an entertainer or an athlete, one of those stereotypical jobs for black people."
As Killpatrick put it: "They're not always the quarterback. Sometimes they're role players who ended up making the play to win the game."
Burks and Killpatrick spent a weekend conceiving of the idea, researching the figures to be featured and getting poster boards printed. They can be viewed in the Jaqua Center during its regular hours of operation – 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday.
Killpatrick said he's heard from students and staff who learned something from the exhibit.
"Each week they're saying, 'Hey, I didn't know this about such-and-such,'" he said. "So that's been nice."
In recognition of Black History Month, the athletic department also has staged screenings of "Hidden Figures" and "13th." Killpatrick, who is from Texas, said he appreciates the efforts to recognize African-American history, while also inviting it to be shared across cultural lines.
"What different people bring strengthens the culture," he said. "Because it's different viewpoints on different things. Everybody's individuality is what makes the culture what it is."
