Andrea Rhodes

On Feb. 2, the Nicholls State University Counseling Center held the Essence of Black Celebration beside Ellender Memorial Library.

The event featured speakers, singers, historians and many campus departments and organizations. 

Elnora Vicks, M.Ed., PLPC, counselor and outreach coordinator for the Nicholls Counseling Center, and Emily Hudson, the center’s administrative assistant, helped put on this event. Their intention for this event was to unite the campus by providing representation, showing diversity, and creating a safe space.

“And who better to create a safe place than the Nicholls Counseling Center?” said Hudson.

An assortment of vendors were also in attendance including Kimberly Jupiter, who used her passion for baking to provide desserts, and Altina Sims, who displayed jewelry from her brand Pieces of Me.

An African American mobile museum called “Finding Our Roots” was providing tours of its van at the celebration. This company travels throughout nearby parishes informing people of black history, from slavery to civil rights. The van included pictures, newspaper articles, music sheets, paintings, and historical artifacts.

Robyn Spot was attending the event with her art class from Thibodaux Middle School. She was not only enjoying the event but was excited to see that her students were having a good time, and she is very grateful to Nicholls for this opportunity.

“It gives [my students] some exposure to culture, to arts, to music, as well as the food that’s available here,” Spot said. “I think everybody’s enjoying it; they’re smiling, they’re happy, they’re out of school and I think they’re enjoying everything that’s being offered to them.”