Stockton holds many events and opportunities during Black History Month to celebrate, and one of the events was a part of Student Development’s Story Space series, directed and created by Parth Thakkar. On Wednesday, February 19, staff and students gathered in the Multicultural Center to share their personal stories related to Black History and the Black community, regardless of the speaker’s personal background.

Parth Thakkar opened up with his story of his participation in the African Student Organization’s annual fashion show, which features students and faculty showing off traditional garb from many African countries. Thakkar participated during his time as a Stockton student and had a great experience modeling one of the traditional outfits. He enjoyed the practice sessions and learning about African culture.

When he was handed his assigned outfit, he was “surprised to see [it], because it was very similar to something we Indians wear, too. I was surprised to see how different parts of the world, different cultures, somehow have very similar clothing. Sometimes we share things that are unique to our cultures with other cultures, and we may not even know about it.”

Dianne L. Stalling, the Assistant Director of Student Development, also contributed to the Story Space, following Parth’s anecdote about the ASO fashion show, which she also had attended that year. The fashion show has been a tradition at Stockton for over 35 years. Stalling has been at Stockton since 1984, and she talked about her experiences during her first years at our university.

“We had an opportunity back then where we could have an international dinner, and students were able to bring in their food, their recipes, and make all these international cuisines,” Stalling said. “It was breathtaking, not only with food, but with culture. They had fashion shows, dance routines, poetry, singing […] it was just a big affair for the International Student Organization and the faculty and staff.”

Another student contributed with advice to her peers, stating, “With Black History Month, the [best] person you should be learning from is a Black person, and doing your own research and learning from individuals who have gone through their experiences […] I’m really big on research and educating ourselves.” She went on to advise her peers to find role models to look up to in their fields, especially those in the Black community, to find people that inspire them and represent their community well in their respective careers.

The next Story Space for Women’s History Month is on Wednesday, March 19 from 5-6 p.m. in the Multicultural Center.