As Texas A&M’s last event for Black History Month this year, the Black Student Alliance Council will be hosting the Ebony Ball.
The ball will take place on Saturday, Feb. 28 in the Bethancourt Ballroom from 6:30 to 8 p.m., and there will be a Silent Headphone After-Party from 8 to 10 p.m. Tickets are on sale for $8. With the Ebony Ball award ceremony, BSAC’s intends to promote the recognition of black students and their accomplishments.
Sports management junior and BSAC Vice President Corniyah Bradley said the Council has been planning the event since the beginning of last semester.
“This is our first year doing the Ebony Ball,” Bradley said. “We wanted some form of homecoming court in a sense that exemplifies what we see as beauty in the black community and leadership and service.”
The inspiration behind the Ball partly stemmed from the realization that black students were not receiving the recognition they deserved, Bradley said.
“I’ve been invited to leadership dinners where I’ve met Aggies who have done some amazing things, and I never would’ve known yet if I hadn’t had the opportunity to go to an event while just [hearing] them talk,” Bradley said. “With the Ebony Ball, it gives everybody the chance to come and see what the black community does.”
Unlike other Black History Month events hosted, Bradley said the celebration of the Ebony Ball puts more of an emphasis on the creation of new traditions.
“The rest of Black History Month is about celebrating our ancestors, but there’s not a lot of things that are focused on highlighting just the students at A&M,” Bradley said. “That’s really what the Ebony Ball encompasses for us. This is about celebrating us in the now in hopes of us creating history.”
During the event, students will vote for the future members of the Ebony Ball Court. Voting takes place in five main categories: Mr. and Mrs. Freshman, Mr. and Mrs. Sophomore, Mr. and Mrs. Junior, Mr. and Mrs. Senior, and the highest position, Mr. and Mrs. Black TAMU. The competitive requirements range for each position, but all students applying must submit their resumes, letters of recommendation and verified community service hours.
“A lot of applications were submitted, and the [body of judges] selected from the few of those,” Bradley said. “[The selected] have videos that represent who they are, and they will be playing those at the Ball. The students will then vote, and the [winners] will be crowned.”
Bradley said having the opportunity to learn more about their peers during the event will hopefully inspire students.
“I want attendees to watch one of the videos that our contestants give, and I want them to say, ‘I can be that person one day. If she can do all of this while she’s in college, I can [too],’” Bradley said. “It creates healthy competition [that] helps us grow as a community.”
While the Ebony Ball is a more formal event dedicated to the voting, the following Silent Headphone After-Party will provide an additional element of entertainment.
“[The headphones] will be playing different genres of music, so they’ll light up the colors of whatever station you’re on,” Bradley said. “[Students] will be able to select which station that they want to listen to, and it’ll be a fun time.”
By the conclusion of the whole event, the main goal of the Ebony Ball is to have successfully promoted awareness.
“Sometimes, when you are a minority on this campus, it’s generally easy for your accomplishments to not be shown as much,” Bradley said. “That’s what we wanted to create a platform for. It’s about praising the people who are going over and beyond to make sure our community is projected in a positive light.”
Bradley encourages all students to attend the event.
“I appreciate a lot of the things this campus does for all of us, and the only time those things are really put out there is when it’s based on the majority and not the minorities,” Bradley said. “This is a great way to bring the two together.”