Nico Rivera
Features Editor
On Thursday, Feb. 26, the Center for Belonging and Intercultural Dialogue (CBID) hosted a Black History Month Showcase in Allen Commons. The event included soul food dishes, music and a recitation of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech by James Marquis ’28.
Director for Equity and Belonging, Jake Marion, spoke about planning the event: “So every month, we try to do a couple of events. We try to really stick to this History Month, Heritage Month sort of schedule. We wanted to do something celebratory. We actually did this event last year as well, and it was a big hit, so we’re just kind of doing it again … to actually have a moment like this where the true diversity of campus [comes together] is really exciting to celebrate.”
Gabriel Jones ’28 was one of the students in attendance, and explained that what brought him to the event was “the promise of soul food. I always find comfort in soul food as a Black man, and the presence of community. The community who is choosing to celebrate Black History.” Reflecting on what Black History Month meant to him, Jones explained that “it means celebration and recognition of my voice.” He looked forward to “seeing everybody, hopefully of different cultures and races, come together to celebrate Black History Month.”
Marquis, the treasurer-elect for the 2026-2027 Black Student Association (BSA), explained how he prepared for his recitation at the showcase. “I really start my process thinking about what pertains to the moment, and how to take what we learned and apply it to our contemporary lives.” Reflecting on his intentions with his speech, he explained, “I really just wanted to urge different things going on right now in this country and on this campus, and remind people that there is always more that they can do. There’s always more that all of us can do.”
Marquis also emphasized the power of everyday kindness during his speech. He said, “If nothing else, I want people to take away that it is always within their power and their ability to treat people with respect and dignity. It really just, it starts with a simple thing … just trying to look out for people around you. Sometimes it’s as simple as just saying ‘hi’ … that’s something that can be done inside of the day.”
Brian Cornell ’29, co-outreach chair elect of BSA’s ’26-27 executive board, reflected on Marquis’s presentation: “It was absolutely amazing. I feel like he represented BSA amazingly, not only as our treasurer, but as a person who can actually connect cultural bridges. He incorporated Wooster in his talk, and it was just very profound … I look forward to other people of color on campus, getting to know him and our organization, and just getting more involved on campus. This is an amazing place if you allow it to be, but it also can be hard when you feel like you don’t have any representation. And I feel like James did that amazingly.”