![Assistant Athletic Director of Academic Retention & Services Jill Gerloff delivers the opening speech at her final NGWSD dinner before her retirement. “I love all of my athletes and my women's teams always show up for me, and I want to make sure that I can do something to show up for them,” Gerloff said. [File photo]](https://therambler.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/OpeningSpeaker_Gerloff-1200x800.jpg)
Texas Wesleyan students commemorated the start of Black History Month with a Black History Month Kickoff at the Martin University Center on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
Chili, drinks, and tabling from student organizations created a welcoming environment for students to mingle and learn more about the history and culture of Black Americans. Students from diverse backgrounds were in attendance, emphasizing the importance of inclusion and unity during Black History Month.
“It’s really nice to see how nowadays, it’s not just about black people, but everybody coming to celebrate black culture and the history, which makes it beautiful,” junior kinesiology major Arianna-Rosie Bourgoin said.
Students were also able to learn more about Black History through presentations and displays from campus organizations that highlighted influential figures in various fields. Anas Charit, a junior business analytics major, expressed gratitude for the opportunity.
“Small schools usually don’t look like it does today; it feels very nice,” Charit said. “Today is a good day for people that don’t know a lot about black history now, so they get to discover.”
The Black Student Association (BSA) and Student Affairs organized the event. Both organizations shared that the goal of the kickoff was to create a sense of community across campus.
“We want to really highlight Black History Month and show everyone that we have a lot to do and lots to show,” said Nijah Akpan, senior psychology major and president of BSA. “The main goal for the kickoff was really to create community and reach out to all of the campus.”
Assistant Director of Student Activities and Engagement, Bertie Gardner, said that the event highlighted the value of inclusion at a small university such as Texas Wesleyan.
“It allows us to really see the different ways that students can be engaged in inclusive activities,” Gardner said. He added that having multiple student organizations present showed how campus can come together to celebrate culture and expressed hope that students who attended felt seen and welcomed.
