On Thursday, Feb. 4, the chapel service at Pioneer Memorial Church celebrated Black History Month. The theme “Rise” was chosen for this year’s Black History Month events. Students pre-registered on the new University Faith app to attend the service. The sanctuary allowed seating for two hundred students. Additionally, the overflow room in the youth chapel allowed more to watch and listen. Masks and social distancing were required with a limited number of students in each marked pew.
The chapel featured a special performance from the Deliverance Mass Choir. Some clips of Martin Luther King, Jr. speaking were also shown, including part of his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. However, King also spoke about how the dream can turn into a nightmare.
Michael Nixon, vice president for Diversity and Inclusion, moderated the event. A panel consisting of Danielle Pilgrim, the associate chaplain at Andrews University, Steve Yeagley, assistant vice president for Campus and Student Life, and Rayneau Victor (junior, photography, theology) began with a discussion about what King meant by the “nightmare.” Ms. Pilgrim urged us to avoid silence and inaction because it supports the issues which we oppose. Several of the panelists challenged beliefs and ideals the church has shown when dealing with the issue of injustice. Ms. Pilgrim also noted that Christianity means we have a responsibility to further justice and referenced the story of the good Samaritan as an example. Additionally, Mr. Victor called everyone to make a difference in someone’s life. The panel accepted questions texted in from those who were attending in-person.
Elizabeth Dovich (freshman, communications) said, “I really appreciated Mr. Yeagley’s comment during the panel discussion about not being afraid of what others might say, as long as we are doing what is right.” Taznir Smalling (freshman, music) also commented, “What stood out to me the most in chapel this Thursday was the statement made by one of the panelists. He said that we should never underestimate the power and influence we have as college students. We should go out and help in the communities because there are students leaving high school not knowing how to read. So this is something we can do for our outreach—help them because they look up to us.”
Benjamin High (freshman, theology) noted, “What I like about the chapel was that it celebrated a topic that in the 50s and 60s would be unthinkable to talk about. I love how our nation has evolved into a more inclusive society. With that being said, we still have more growing to do. That is what Black History Month is for—to help us grow into who God wants us to be.”
In-person chapels will continue on the theme of “Love in the Grey,” a continuation of the overall theme “Love is Life.” Be sure to register for next Thursday, February 11, to attend. For more information about Black History Month and to see a full schedule of events, please visit the events page.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.