Shouts of joy are heard while sorority and fraternity members stroll with pride. Happiness is spread across the face of all who crossed their line; a symbol of unity, family and joy in their blackness.

But my mind can’t help but think of how my blackness shouldn’t be on a schedule. 

A scheduled time to enjoy my culture is a joke. An ideal day to walk into spaces where my culture is uplifted should be every day, not just on Thursdays from 12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Each day is spent attempting to make the university more diverse and respecting, but the work is never complete. Sit back and think of a space on campus for Latin, Native American, Asian, African and Caribbean, and African American students to unload, enjoy their culture and see familiar faces.

Events are only put into action when a small group of students bears the load and responsibilities to ensure they are represented, and it shouldn’t be this way. Union Unplugged, a 45-minute time slot where you see Black Greek students strolling or maybe a fashion show from the Black Fashion Society, is one of the only dedicated times when African American students can see familiar faces and enjoy each other.

You hear, “I didn’t even know this school had this many Black people,” from freshmen and other students as they see everyone come out. After the alloted 45 minutes, that sense of community and pride is proven to be ever so fleeting, like prematurely dismissing a class on togetherness…