The sweet scent of brown-sugared sweet potatoes and warm baked macaroni and cheese greeted Rowan University students at the Student Center on Thursday, Feb. 13. A line quickly formed as guests scrambled to get a taste of the cornbread and fried chicken available at the food station. 

This scene described the first hour of the Black Hair Don’t Care event, which was a collaborative event created by Rowan After Hours (RAH) and the Black Student Union (BSU) for Black History Month. 

The main event was between 9:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m., where students were welcome to congregate in the Student Center pit. 

This celebration also offered free haircuts and hair masks. Outside of multiple hair care services, Black Hair Don’t Care provided a deeper impact for some attendees.

“It’s making Black students feel welcome,” said Ari Little, a political science major in her junior year at Rowan. 

This was Little’s first time attending a RAH and BSU event, which she came to based on the recommendation of a friend. Other Rowan students echoed Little’s statements.

“I feel welcome and proud,” said Nyomi Lyons, an art education major in her junior year. “I like feeling like the majority.”

After the food station lines dwindled and the crowd of over 60 students settled in their seats in the pit, the trivia portion of the night began. Trivia was emceed by BSU’s president Molique Wright and was composed of questions ranging from how slaves used braids to communicate travel routes to which halls on campus were named after Black historical figures.

First-place winners of trivia earned $20 per member of their group, while second-place was awarded $10.

According to Rowan University’s student organizations webpage, the BSU focuses on creating an “intersectional, supportive, and sustainable voice” for Black Rowan students. Their collaboration with RAH is one of the ways the BSU helps facilitate community within the Black student body at Rowan. 

RAH events are held on a weekly basis from Thursday to Saturday, with events lasting from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. According to RAH’s webpage on Rowan’s website, the organization offers a late-night chance for students to get involved on campus. 

The collaboration between the two organizations shared a common goal for the Black Hair Don’t Care Event. 

“It’s important to showcase the positive, [and] not just the negative,” said Nyje Broughton, a member of the BSU’s public relations team who assisted in organizing the event.

As a radio, television, and film (RTF) major, Broughton holds a passion for optics in regard to the Black community.

As time inched closer to midnight, the night turned into a boisterous karaoke session open to anyone brave enough to volunteer. 

As students rapped along to songs like Childish Gambino’s quick-paced “Bonfire” and Kendrick Lamar’s rousing “Not Like Us,” Black Hair Don’t Care came to a close.

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