This week, UNI’s Black Student Union (BSU) will be hosting “My Black is Beautiful Week” to acknowledge African American students on campus.

“The week is about celebrating us and what we have done in the world,” said Dejah Covington, BSU vice president and sophomore family services major.

“My Black is Beautiful Week” starts today with “Melanin Monday.” Keyah Levy, assistant director of the Center for Multicultural Education (CME), will speak about African American women in society. The event starts at 6 p.m. and will be held in the Maucker Union Ballroom.

“The new assistant director for the CME is going to come and talk about being a minority in the professional world,” said Yakira Sanders, president of BSU, and a junior social work major. “We will also have a panel of minority students who will talk about some challenges and some experiences they have been through.”

On Tuesday, BSU will be holding a “Treat and Chill,” where there will be popcorn and candy. The event starts at 7 p.m. in the CME. The goal of this event is to create a sense of community.

“Here at UNI we don’t really feel that we have a community, so through BSU we have a family away from our family,” Sanders said. “We will be watching some Halloween movies[…]just chilling and talking about ways to celebrate Halloween.”

Wednesday’s event is called “Wild N Out Wednesday,” which will start at 7 p.m. in the Lang Auditorium. The event will feature a night of minute to win it games, with the winner getting a prize. There will be either groups competing against each other or single individuals competing against each other.

“The games could be name that tune, or who can eat an Oreo without their hands the quickest,” Sanders said. “Just little fun games like that.”

The “BSU Bonding Event” will occur on Thursday. It is a bowling night at Maple Lanes in Waterloo, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The final event is called “Blackout Friday” and will involve a faculty and staff luncheon at the CME from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Students can network with UNI faculty.

“We will have faculty and staff come to the CME, and we will have conversations with them and network with them, just to let them know that we are here,” Sanders said.

At the luncheon, students are invited to wear all black to the event and a group photo will be taken in the CME. This is in commemoration of past, present and future BSU members. The photos will be posted on BSU’s social media.

“My Black is Beautiful Week” acts as a preview for Black History Month, which occurs in February and celebrates African Americans. BSU takes part in Black History Month each year.

“The purpose of BSU is to advance African American culture on UNI’s campus through programming, educating and representing our people with prestige,” Covington said.

This idea is also expressed at every BSU meeting according to Covington, in an organization affirmation statement.