BOZEMAN — Did you know that in 2021, according to Montana State University, African American students made up less than .01% of their undergraduate student body? As February is Black History Month, I headed to campus to speak with students about their experiences at MSU, as well as see how the university has been honoring this month.
“I was definitely nervous. I was worried about people's perception of me. How they were going to react to me being on campus,” Chanielle Rice tells me.
Watch the story here:
I sat down with Chanielle, a sophomore here at MSU majoring in elementary education. Chanielle shared with me her journey to Bozeman, which she says is quite different from her home in Vacaville.
“You know, coming from California which is such a diverse place and then coming here? I was like, oh, I wonder how I’m going to fit in," says Chanielle.
But it was Chanielle's sister who convinced her to make the move. Off to Montana State she went, but with some concerns.
“My biggest concern was probably, obviously racism. I was really worried that I wasn't going to be accepted by the students here on campus,” Chanielle tells me.
But once she got here, Chanielle says a budding friendship with her freshman-year roommate and one campus event changed everything.
“I strolled through Catapalooza. I went through several different stands, and I was like, ‘I heard there was a Black student union, where is it?’ And I finally found them. They were tucked away in the little corner and I was like, ‘You guys the black student union? I need to join,’” recalls Chanielle.
Chanielle tells me The Black Student Union, or BSU, helped her find a sense of community. Today, Chanielle is the president of BSU, where she’s found a passion for helping those who wear the same shoes she was in.
“In Montana, being Black in Montana, I went through those fair experiences," Chanielle says. "So, I definitely connect with people. And I’m like, ‘I know you’re going through the same thing I am, let's go.’”
For Black History Month, BSU organized its first Hip Hop bash, which was held earlier in the month.
“We had catering. It was all soul food. We had fried catfish, we had jambalaya, we had mashed potatoes. We did biographies on the back of each of the artists we wanted to tribute to. Michael Jackson, Prince, Muddy Waters stuff like that,” Chanielle explains.
And the hip hop bash was just one of MANY events held at MSU in honor of Black History Month.
“I love representing Black people at Montana State University,” Jasmine James shared with me.
Jasmine graduated from MSU in 2020. She’s currently continuing her education while also working full-time at MSU’s library. Although Jasmine never joined any student organizations? She’s helped organize events in the past such as Juneteenth. And this year? MSU’s first Douglass day.
“We will be connecting with Library of Congress to transcribe as many items as we can in four hours from the African American Perspectives collection. So that future generations have access to these digitally,” Jasmine explains.
Other events MSU is hosting include African Cultural Night, screening culturally significant films in the Procrastinator Theater, as well as The One O'Clock Jazz Ensemble performing a Black history concerton Feb. 24.
“It’s a good time. It’s a great opportunity for Black people to find community here in Montana. Because we know that there are not very many of us,” Jasmine tells me.
And I asked Chanielle what it means to her, to have these events honoring Black History Month at Montana State.
“I don’t want to be this person, but you go back 100 years, we weren’t even allowed. We were in the foreshadows. We were suppressed. And now we can essentiate our Blackness. We can talk about our Blackness. We can share that with other people,” she says.
Chanielle tells me a winter fest, similar to their hip-hop bash, will be held March 1 and everyone is welcome to join.
“When you see Black, you shouldn’t see pity. When you see Black you should see beautiful. You should see glowing. Our music, our food, everything about us,” Chanielle adds. “And to be able to share that with non-people of color? You should want to be in our space, you should enjoy being in our space to say this is something beautiful and I want to explore that."
The One O'Clock Jazz Ensemble's Black History Concert takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 24, in Howard Hall, Reynolds Recital Hall (Room 108), on the campus of Montana State University.
