Stanford students celebrate heritage throughout Black History Month 

Black communities around the country come together every February to celebrate Black History Month (BHM), commemorating Black activists, trailblazers and groundbreakers. In addition to being a celebration of Black identity, BHM is also a reclamation of the power that comes from one’s Blackness and a remembrance of past struggles and ancestors’ resilience.

This year’s BHM was particularly notable for the Black student community at Stanford. Following the United States Supreme Court’s ban on affirmative action and recent cuts to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) initiatives, top colleges across the country saw declines in Black student enrollment. At Stanford, Black student enrollment dropped by 49% for the class of 2028 compared to the previous class. This year, enrollment decreased 17% further — from 7% self-identified African American students in the class of 2028 to 5.8% in class of 2029. 

Despite these challenges, Black student organizations put on successful programming for Black students on campus, with Black students continuing to celebrate their heritage in different spaces.

The Black Student Union (BSU) hosted a BHM cookout on Feb. 27 at the Black Community Services Center, widely known as the Black House, gathering many students from across the diaspora.

Gordon Allen ’26, BSU president and organizer of the cookout, celebrates his Black identity through organizing community events and being around other Black students. 

“I think the best way to embrace my culture is by being around people who also seek security and comfort within it,” Allen said. For him, this embrace of culture involves holding community events like the cookout. “That means putting on programming through BSU such as cookouts… and general meetings.”

“We’re very few in numbers but we show up where we can and lots of us endured a lot to get here,” Allen added.

Like Allen, Grace Ajibola ’26 takes pride in her heritage and enjoys celebrating it with other students on campus. 

Through the Stanford Nigerian Students Association (NAIJA), Ajibola enjoys celebrating events like NAIJA Independence Day and Detty December, “reclaiming the culture we have back in Nigeria,” she said. Ajibola also took Yoruba language classes at Stanford to stay connected to her Nigerian roots.

Beyond the BSU, RNS and the historically Black sororities and fraternities of the Divine Nine hosted events. “One thing I‘ve been pretty good at is reading my email when I get sent Black events and making sure to show up and talk to other Black students about their experiences,” Zhané Crosby ’26 said.

For Laresa Hester ’26, joining Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. was “a way to stay in touch with Black people and to serve the Black community,” she said. “I also like to go to events thrown by different organizations on campus and just spend time around Black people whenever I can.” 

Ujamaa House (Uj), the university’s Black themed dorm, also provides students a special opportunity to form relationships in a residential setting. 

Having grown up in a majority Black school and community in Brooklyn, New York, Uj was a perfect fit for Crosby. “Going to Uj was really good for me,” she said. “I got to be around people who looked like me. It felt like a mini HBCU [Historically Black College or University]. I really love being in a community with Black people and some of my best friends came from being in Uj.”

Nifemi Bankole ’27, who is involved in RNS, the Black Gen Capital and NAIJA, appreciates the diversity within the Nigerian community at Stanford.

“What makes me proud is the diversity of how the Black Nigerian experience manifests amongst the diaspora,” he said. “It’s nice to see how within the Nigerian community, everybody’s doing a bit of everything: STEM, literature, filming, acting.”

“As Nigerians, we kind of pride ourselves on being able to find somebody anywhere in the world that you may find yourself,” he added.

Temilola Sobomehin ’28 embraces her heritage “by finding community spaces where I can truly be myself and celebrate my Blackness in all of its forms,” she said. Like Ajibola, Sobomehin is learning Yoruba to stay connected to her Nigerian heritage.

As BHM comes to an end, Black students continue to celebrate their heritage and identity at Stanford, blazing a path for future students. Though enrollment has faced decreases in the past couple years, the BSU, NAIJA, RNS, the Divine Nine and other organizations stand as strong communities for Black students to be a part of.

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