The Multicultural Center hosted a Black Excellence Panel on Thursday, February 8. The panel featured prominent Black representatives. Ms. Shavonne Davis is the Director of Community Outreach in the Atlantic City Prosecutor’s Office; Dr. John Gray is an Organizational Leadership instructor at Stockton, also an alumnus of both Stockton and Walden University; Loukaia Taylor is a 2022 Stockton alumna and Professional Services Specialist; and two students were featured, Shane Moore and Lilly Nickens, both of whom are very involved on campus. The panel’s hosts were Kayla Flowers and Va Lee, both students from the Multicultural Center’s P.R.E.P. Team.

Many questions about Black identity, obstacles in the workplace and education, and challenges faced as a Black person were discussed. “I think a lot of us can remember going to school, and one of the blackest days on the calendar was the beginning of Black History Month, and when February was over, that was it,” Dr. Gray said in one of his answers. “Not only do we miss so much about our contributions as Black people to this history, there are so many cultures that provide to the historical context that [those are] overlooked as well.”

The panelists shared their stories as well as stories of their family members, friends, or role models in the Black Community that demonstrate Black excellence, giving a name to everyone besides famous Black celebrities. “We have the Oprahs and Obamas, and that’s great, but we are still excellent in our own right,” Lilly Nickens expressed, mentioning herself and many of her friends as Stockton as first-generation college students, which is a perfect example of Black excellence. “For me, that’s what Black excellence is,” she stated. “Every time I look in a class, I see a peer, someone that looks like me; that’s excellence to me.”

“Black excellence can look like so much in so many different ways,” Shavonne Davis shared. “We’re surviving despite all of the barriers, obstacles, and challenges. We are pushing through to achieve despite everybody having lower expectations for us. So, it’s not just becoming a millionaire, it’s going and seeking to achieve that next step despite everything that’s going on around you.”

Another subject the panel touched was response to microaggressions, both intentional and unintentional. Loukaia Taylor gave an example of how a peer expressed that they loved how her hair was “always so crazy”. She explained how she didn’t react aggressively or defensively, and instead responded with a calm “What do you mean by that?” to give her peer a chance to explain their intentions. The panelists commended her response and agreed on the correct approach and response to microaggressions and daily life, also relaying their experiences; Davis and Nickens shared similar stories about their hairstyles receiving comments or remarks from non-Black peers in the workplace or classroom.

Dr. Gray thought “the panel discussion was essential. Because it reminds us that we have to keep the culture going, and that’s why the Multicultural Center is so important. To bring discussions like this to the campus at large. So this is essential.” Loukaia commented, “To even be invited to participate in a discussion as a panelist is an honor, but being surrounded by people as impressive as my co-panelists was a humbling and invaluable experience for me. I thoroughly enjoyed not only getting to be a part of the discussion but also learning from my peers on the panel. One of my favorite moments was listening to fellow panelists answer the question, ‘When thinking about Black excellence and embracing one’s identity, what makes you extremely proud to be a part of the Black/African American community?’ Lilly’s answer was succinct and encapsulated what I think all of us felt at that moment: ‘There’s nothing that we can’t do, and when there are no spaces for us, we make one.’ All in all, I look forward to being a part of discussions like this in the future, especially if it’s in the beautiful Multicultural Center!”

Ann Delva was a student who attended the panel. She expressed, “Hearing them talk about how important representation is, like Dr. Gray said, how him seeing Black excellence while he came to Stockton, he knew that’s what he wanted to be. Being able to see Black excellence around you; all of us feel influenced to become great at our career.”

Keep following The Argo and OspreyHub for more information on Black History Month events! Kimoni Yaw Ajani, an Assistant Professor in the Africana Studies program, will be hosting a book signing for his book, “The Afrikan Revolution in Ayiti”, in the Multicultural Center at 4:30 PM on Thursday, February 15. RSVP on OspreyHub.