The celebration of Black History Month at Iowa State is in full swing after a community kickoff at the Black Cultural Center Thursday.

The meeting at the BCC, 517 Welch Ave., brought together more than 70 people for conversation and preparation for events in the coming month.

Upcoming activities include a Heritage Bowl testing competitors’ knowledge of African-American history, speeches by Rae Lewis-Thornton and Warren C. Bowles, an open mic night at The Maintenance Shop and the production of “Fires in the Mirror,” a play about African-American heritage.

Kamilla Collier-Mullin, member of The Black Renaissance Movement, said Black History Month activities will educate and involve the ISU community.

“There’s a lot of education and entertainment [in these activities],” said Collier-Mullin, freshman in psychology. “We always get a good turnout.”

Xavier Allen, president of the Black Student Alliance, said activities during Black History Month always are very enjoyable.

“I especially like the Heritage Bowl; you can always learn something new,” said Allen, junior in management information systems.

Brenda Jones, professor of art and design, thinks society’s knowledge of African-American history is not sufficient. “I would hope that in the future we wouldn’t have to celebrate just one month a year, that it would be all year,” she said.

Carolyn Mitchell, freshman in psychology, agreed that African-American history has been overlooked.

“There’s so much of a focus on everyone else’s history; we need to make our presence known,” she said. “It’s very important for African-American spirit in America.”

Janessa Morgan, freshman in biology, said the community needs to become more educated about black leaders. “We have to remember where we came from, the people who paved the way for us, made it possible for us to be who we are,” she said.

Roxanne Smith, junior in accounting, said these celebrations serve another purpose besides learning about history.

“I enjoy seeing the black community bond as they learn more,” she said. “It’s not necessarily just for the blacks but for others who don’t know the beauty of our culture.”

ISU President Martin Jischke also feels the African-American culture and history needs to be shared.

“I think it’s a very important part of U.S. history; it’s an important part of an education — an opportunity for all of us to learn,” he said.

Events were coordinated and sponsored by the National Society of Black Engineers, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., The Black Renaissance Movement, Black Graduate Student Alliance, Minority Student Affairs, Multicultural Action Group and BSA.