This weekend will include the final activities of Black Love Week, including games and soul food.

“Black Love Week is consistent with the theme of uplifting black students on campus and making them aware of the resources available,” said Bradford Johnson, president of the Black Student Alliance.

The week’s events will help BSA reach its goal of helping the social, political, academic and mental well-being of black people on the ISU campus, said Johnson, senior in meteorology.

The week’s activities began with a Monday night discussion focused on Christopher Columbus hosted by Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

“We started out talking about Columbus since it was Columbus Day. We wanted to discredit Columbus as the founder of America,” Johnson said. “That is a blatant lie. There were people in America years before Columbus came.”

Jeremiah Cobb, vice president of BSA, said discussion is an important part of Black Love Week.

“We kept jump-starting new conversations,” said Cobb, junior in finance. “We talked about the school system, whether we wanted to be called blacks or African Americans and poverty.”

Black Woman Appreciation Day on Tuesday allowed people to stand up and discuss the importance and value of black women in their lives, said Jessica Wilson, junior in accounting.

“Black Love Week is a time for people to show appreciation for specific African-American men and women in their lives,” she said.

People were encouraged to give tokens of their affection, such as carnations and candy, to women who have been influential in their lives.

Black Man Appreciation Day on Wednesday was similar, she said.

“In a society that doesn’t exactly embrace color, it is important for us to love ourselves and to show appreciation for each other,” Wilson said.

Cobb said students can sign petitions against a mock lynching that took place at an Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity costume party at Oklahoma State University last year.

Photographs were taken at the party and later placed on the Internet.

The three men involved in the incident were suspended by the local chapter adviser.

BSA will send the petition to Oklahoma State.

— The Associated Press contributed to this story