In honor of Black History Month, the Africana, Latin, Asian and Native American (ALANA) Cultural Center hosted a Feb. 6 seminar on embracing Black language creativity and vernacular as American culture. Other events included a Feb. 4 panel about student experience and resilience.
The seminar was facilitated by Aaron Dial, assistant professor of film and media studies and African and Latin American studies, and Kermit Campbell, associate professor of writing and rhetoric. The event was designed to ask provocative questions and use student attendee perspectives to develop the group’s knowledge on the prevalence of Black vernacular in American culture.
Director of the ALANA Cultural Center Esther Rosbrook commented on the event’s goals.
“I think it is important that we designed the discussion to be participatory, allowing attendees to share their thoughts, ask questions and reflect on personal experiences,” Rosbrook said. “This structure created an engaging and dynamic space where people could learn from each other and deepen their understanding through real-life examples. Additionally, having expert facilitators like [Dial and Campbell] provided valuable historical and cultural insights, grounding the conversation in both scholarship and lived experiences.”
Rosbrook emphasized the importance of open dialogue and expert insights in fostering a deeper understanding of Black vernacular. The discussion tackled concepts like assimilation for safety, placing boundaries on language and the impact of educational institutions. This sentiment resonated with attendees, including first-year Alpha Camara, who reflected on the broader cultural significance of the discussion.
“I felt attending this event was important because embracing Black vernacular as part of American culture highlights the need to share, preserve and protect language, especially from marginalized communities,” Camara said. “The talk provided valuable perspectives on how Black vernacular, along with other cultural languages, can sometimes impact people’s lives in challenging ways.”
When talking about cultural reactions, the group found it important to find a line between cultural appreciation and appropriation, which they found difficult to define due to its partially subjective nature. One example was the recent partnership between Don Julio and Popeyes for Black History Month, a move that felt culturally insensitive rather than appreciative. The conversation on cultural boundaries underscored a broader challenge: the widespread use and commercialization of Black vernacular without proper recognition of its roots.
“Even though the diaspora is global, the context in which we view being Black in America is unique, and different cultures have different attitudes towards their skin tones,” Dial said.
Rosbrook further expanded on this point, reflecting on the significance of the event in highlighting the depth, resilience and artistic brilliance of Black vernacular.
“While Black vernacular is widely celebrated, borrowed and often commercialized, there remains a reluctance to acknowledge it as a fundamental part of American and global cultural identity,” Rosbrook said. “This event was designed to confront that gap — to encourage people to not only recognize the influence of Black language but to respect its origins and the communities that created it.”
The conversation also touched on the broader challenges of preserving cultural spaces and history to continue cultural discussion. At Colgate University, the ALANA Cultural Center has stood since 1989.
Campbell echoed this sentiment, stressing the importance of student-led discourse and advocacy.
“You can’t rely on institutions like Colgate to educate and preserve the history of this community. Places like [the Black Student Union and ALANA Cultural Center] are imperative for educating yourself and taking action in order to know the past,” Campbell said.
