By Jacqueline Arroyo / The Jambar
Youngstown State University kicked off Black History Month with its annual African Marketplace. The event took place 9 a.m. -3 p.m. Feb. 1 in Kilcawley Center.
The marketplace featured vendors from nearby and around the county, offering attendees the opportunity to explore artwork, clothing and jewelry related to African and African American culture.
Patrick Spearman, director of Africana Studies and associate professor of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies, oversaw the event. Spearman said African Culture is important and encourages students to take every opportunity to engage in new experiences.
“[Students] get to experience African American culture and get to experience artwork and performances that are steeped in the culture of African American culture,” Spearman said.
The event featured performances from Harambee of Youngstown, a cultural, educational and recreational program that promotes racial harmony and African American cultural traditions. In addition to Harambee, a dance and drumming troupe performed at 1 p.m.
Spearman said the event was important for YSU because the university emphasizes exploring and learning about different cultures, ideas and experiences.
“Always give a good show, so I would tell anyone if you haven’t seen Harambee, today is the day that you should come and check them out,” Spearman said.
The event was promoted across campus through flyers and social media. Several vendors were also in attendance and sold items such as candles featuring historical figures, body scrubs, clothing and earrings.
The process of bringing vendors to campus was fairly straightforward. Since the event takes place annually, Spearman said vendors typically reach out and ask him to reserve a table for them.
“It’s always fun because they know about the event,” Spearman said. “They kind of expect it, they reach out to me ahead of time, saying, ‘When is the African Marketplace? I want a table.’”
The event was scheduled from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. for multiple reasons, including student availability.
“We start at nine o’clock but you can come at one, you can come at two,” Spearman said. “Students have to work on weekends and they plan on working on Saturdays and Sundays so they can come for a little bit in the morning and then go to work.”
The actual program itself didn’t start until 1 p.m., but Spearman said he wanted visitors to have as much time as possible to experience the event.
Spearman said the event’s overall goal was to educate students about African and African American culture, while also providing opportunities to meet new people, whether from campus organizations or the broader community.
The next event celebrating Black History Month is the Black History Month Exhibition, scheduled from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 6 in the Solomon Gallery in Bliss Hall.