By Carlaine Faith Mboula – Contributor

 Through a collaboration with Residence Life and the BU Arts Festival, PULSE facilitated a successful Paint and Sip night, celebrating Black History Month. 

Throughout the month, each week highlights an aspect of Black culture. For the week of Black Creativity, the Paint and Sip included Bissap, a West African drink made from dried hibiscus petals, ginger and pineapple. According to the positionality, the recipe of the Bissap may differ from one country to another. The inclusion of Bissap introduced the participants to the culinary experience while painting. 

Students reacted in various ways: “I imagine myself drinking this one on the beach shore next to palm trees,” one said. Another student said they never tried this before but were willing to test it out.

“This drink is very refreshing like a cold tea,” was another reaction. Members of PULSE were impressed by the open-mindedness of the students towards the discovery of a traditional drink that is a part of the Afro-Caribbean culture. 

In addition, the event was an open-minded activity because PULSE wanted to respect everyone without imposing any specific topics of conversation. The prompt was about Black art through time. What are the elements that you think relate to the culture, the music, the colours, the fashion and so forth? 

As the first-week theme was Black creativity, PULSE  wanted to inform the participants that Afro-Caribbean people have indirectly impacted the art culture as it is known today. For instance, famous dance movements that are seen on social media, colourful textile patterns and even the lyrics of songs may share Afro-Caribbean stories.

While I was passing around the table, to touch base, I observed that students were sharing the reasoning behind their art which reflected a part of their identity. As a result, the event was a learning opportunity where students had the opportunity to discuss many common interests, which were mainly centered around art, and the sharing of knowledge to construct a better understanding of the Afro-Caribbean culture as well as enjoying the presence of the Black community present on campus.  

Ultimately, students were welcomed into a safe environment where they could express themselves creatively, as well as learn about other people’s perspectives through meaningful conversations. Several students expressed their gratitude for all the activities that are yet to come. One student said, “It’s heartwarming to see students from Bishop’s University, Université de Sherbrooke, and Champlain College come together” to celebrate Black History Month. “There should be more events like this on campus throughout the year.” 

Some of the artwork prepared at the Paint and Sip will be revealed at the BU Arts Festival, which will be taking place at the end of March. More events held by PULSE will take place throughout the rest of February.

Carlaine Faith Mboula is a Co-Lead of  P.U.L.S.E