Name: Emmanuel Eze.
Year: Sophomore.
Major: Accounting, with emphasis in Internal Audit.
Birthplace: Nigeria.
Her Campus Boise State: Why Boise State? :)
EE: I have been at Boise State for two years. And I have to say… it was fate. Also, Boise State has a good reputation. There is no crime in Idaho. A lot of stuff is going on in Boise, too. It’s not a very quiet place. There is always something to do.
HC: Can you explain how BSA became ABSA?
EE: Well, it used to be called BSA. A few years ago, something happened. The organization fell apart. I feel like no matter where you are, race comes up. It is just part of identity. But I felt that at that time, black students at Boise State were not being represented properly. Many people may think of athletes… but we’re not just athletes. There are lots of smart kids, too. I decided it was important to bring BSA back, but we changed the name to ABSA. New name, new identity, new idea.
HC: What sort of events is ABSA planning in honor of Black History Month?
EE: First of all, I never understood why we have Black History “month”. I have been black all my life. How can you celebrate something so important to your identity in just a month? We are planning on having an inspirational speaker come and talk to us on the 24th. Another event we are participating in this year is called Shades of Black. Shades of Black is an annual event sponsored by the MLK Living Legacy Committee. People come in and recite poems and sing on things relating to black culture. It is not exclusive at all, though. This is a fairly normal ritual for our organization and has been around for a long time. This year it will be on April 26th.
Another event we have is a music video event. This year, we have 15 clubs and 12 departments on campus who are participating with us. We are making a music video regarding diversity and inclusion, to promote appreciation and acceptance for the uniqueness of humanity. We want to teach people about culture and to promote harmony. This will be on May 3rd.
Like I said I have been black all my life. Actually, I’m chocolate. People always perceive color in this way. For example, you’re “white”. You are not white like an iPad case, but people call you white. I never celebrated Black History Month before, but I think it is a good thing to express ourselves and to celebrate our history. It honors our history– our descent from our foreathers, who were enslaved, and signifies that their struggle was not for fun– not in vain. It shows appreciation for their fight and the fight of those who came after them, like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X.
HC: You are the current president of ABSA; how did you orginally get involved?
EE: BSA used to be pretty popular on campus and had a lot of activities. It got to a point where that was not the case anymore. I decided to walk alongside some other new students who wanted to bring BSA back and who had the same idea as me about how important it is to represent Afro-Black students on campus. When we brought BSA back we changed the name to ABSA.
HC: Thanks for the interview, Emmanuel! Be sure to check out ABSA on OrgSync and check out their Facebook page for more information.