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To round off Black History Month, the Black and Latinx Student Union (BLSU) hosted its annual talent showcase and put on a hip-hop and activism interactive presentation from Jermaine Wells and the ILL Funk Ensemble.

The 50th anniversary celebration of Kwanzaa begins on Dec. 26 and continues to emphasize the importance of honoring the cultural heritage and traditional values of African-Americans.

Although Kwanzaa is still a few weeks away, Hamilton’s Black and Latino Student Union (BLSU) invited 50 guests, including students and faculty, to celebrate the spirit of Kwanzaa and each other as the academic semester comes to a close. The celebration honors African heritage in African-American culture, and is observed from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a feast and gift-giving.

Hamilton College’s Black and Latino Student Union (BLSU) attended the 20th Annual Black Solidarity Conference at Yale University on Feb. 19.  This year’s topic was: “Ties That Bind: Unique In Our Blackness, One In Our Struggle,” which focused on unifying students of color to converse, to brainstorm and to take the lead in the fight against systematic oppression.

Sixteen members of Hamilton’s Black Latin Student Union (BLSU) attended the 19th annual Black Solidarity Conference, held at Yale University on Feb. 13 to 16. This year’s topic was “Rooted: The Odyssey of Black Art,” which explored the diversity of art mediums in their presentation of black culture and in their propagation and/or prevention of racism and stereotyping of the black community.

On Oct. 11, the students of Hamilton’s Black and Latino/a Student Union (BLSU) traveled to New York City during Fall Break for a cultural trip. The group visited important locations known for their cultural, artistic or historical value. Among stops were a historical tour of Harlem, the national 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Times Square, and the Battery Park area where the Hamilton College NYC Program apartments are located.

In an effort to raise awareness of racial profiling and bring attention to the Trayvon Martin case, the Black Latino Student Union (BLSU) sponsored an “I am Not Suspicious” walk across campus on March 30. Martin was the Florida teen who was shot and killed on Feb. 26 by George Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighborhood watch captain, who perceived Martin as a threat.  Members of the Hamilton community were urged to wear hoodies and join in the march from the Taylor Science Center to the Kirner-Johnson Building.