Black Voices

We invite you to join us at some of our hosted events and events that we are in collaboration with other departments. Here is a list of current and past events. We hope to see you there.

 

Black Graduation Celebration

At the end of every academic year, we host our annual Black Graduation Celebration.  The Black Graduation Celebration honors Black/African American students who have successfully completed an Associate’s Degree and/or Certificate from Butte College.  The event recognizes their accomplishment and provides an opportunity for graduates to honor significant people who have helped them achieve their goal.  The ceremony reinforces the bonds of scholarship and extends the sense of community and belonging.  The intimate ceremony is representative of African and Black/African-American culture and culminates with a Kente Stole presentation.




Kwanzaa Celebration

Each December we facilitate a Kwanzaa Celebration for our students.  Kwanzaa, a Swahili word that means “first fruits,” is a seven-day festival that honors African heritage in African American culture. Kwanzaa takes place each year in the United States from December 26 to January 1. Each night during Kwanzaa, celebrants light one of seven candles in a special candleholder called a kinara. Three red on the left, three green on the right, and a single black candle in the center. The seven days and candles of Kwanzaa represent seven principles, or Nguzo Saba are a set of ideals created by Dr. Maulana Karenga.

1. Unity (Umoja in Swahili) — To join together families, communities, and the nation.
2. Self-Determination (Kujichagulia) — To ensure people define themselves and are responsible for their own behavior.
3. Collective work and responsibility (Ujima) — To help each other and to work toward building and maintaining communities.
4. Cooperative economics (Ujamaa) — To build and support businesses owned by African Americans.
5. Purpose (Nia) — To commemorate African and African American cultures, customs, and history.
6. Creativity (Kuumba) — To use imagination to improve and beautify communities.
7. Faith (Imani) — To believe in and support families, leaders, teachers, and community leaders.

Black Voices Faculty and Staff Association Membership List

If you would like to join the Black Voices members list, please email Tray Robinson.

Name	Department	Email Address
Aman Cowell	Music Department	cowellam@517b2b.com
Charles Turner	History	turnerch@517b2b.com
Doreen Ireland	Student Belonging and Empowerment	irelanddo@517b2b.com
Dr. Nandi Crosby	Sociology	crosbyna@517b2b.com
Johnny Persons	Law Enforcement Academy	personjo@517b2b.com
Jordan Rodrigues	Career Center	rodriguesma@517b2b.com
Julius McCall	Human Resources	mccallju@517b2b.com
Kevin Haynes	TRIO Student Support Services	hayneske@517b2b.com
Kim Kirkwood	Cosmetology	kirkwoodki@517b2b.com
Kimani Davis	Recruitment and Outreach	daviski@517b2b.com
Malcolm Dixon	Black Leadership and Cultural Center	dixonmal@517b2b.com
Malcolm J. McLemore	Student Belonging and Empowerment	mclemorema@517b2b.com
Regina Davis	Digital Arts & Design/ARTS	davisre@517b2b.com
Renan Young	Information Technology	youngre@517b2b.com
Santay Gray	Counseling	graysa@517b2b.com
Selena Lee	Human Resources	leese@517b2b.com
Tray Robinson	Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Antiracism	robinsontra@517b2b.com

Resources	Contact information
UMOJA Village	http://butte.umojacommunity.org/
Black Student Union	http://www.facebook.com/buttecollegebsu/
African American Family & Cultural Center	http://www.aafcc-oroville.org
Chico State Black Faculty & Staff Association	http://www.csuchico.edu/diversity/associations/bfsa/index.shtml

If you are interested in attending a Black Voices meeting, please contact Tray Robinson at robinsontra@517b2b.com