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African-American 101: Students want to be recognized as individuals

February 10, 2017

These black students at Arizona State University want you to know one thing: There isn’t any one thing to know.

“Get to know me,” said Ashley Carter, a sophomore journalism major. “Don’t just judge me by how I look.”

Outgoing. Shy. Bubbly. Laid-back. Academic. Athletic. The members of ASU’s Black African Coalition are part of a diverse group that can’t be narrowly defined.

“If you were actually to go out and meet 100 and 200 different black people,” said ASU history professor Matt Delmont, contextualizing the students’ experiences, “you’d realize there are 100 and 200 different ways to be black.”

The students gathered in this video to share their perspectives, frustrations and hopes in honor of Black History Month. They’ve had their authenticity challenged, felt pressure to represent their entire race and wished African-American history was more of a focus throughout their education.

The video is part of a series from ASU Now that began with Native 101 and plans to expand to give women, Hispanics, veterans and other groups on campus an opportunity to share their own stories and help dispel stereotypes.

Deanna Dent

Photographer , ASU News

480-727-5972

 
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Visitors experience sights, sounds and tastes of ASU's West campus

ASU's West campus opens its doors for visitors to explore learning and fun.
Missed the fun? Next Night of the Open Door is Feb. 17 at Polytechnic campus.
February 12, 2017

Night of the Open Door continues in Glendale with CSI, chocolate, creepy-crawlies and more

Arizona State University's Night of the Open Door — five free open houses over the month of February — continued at the West campus in Glendale on Saturday, where the rain held off as visitors learned about forensics, the neuroscience of chocolate, black widow spiders and other subjects.

Scroll down to see video and photos from the event.

Young visitors tried their hand at an Army ROTC pull-up challenge, real-life Angry Birds games, personality tests for future careers, crime-scene investigations and Minecraft fun as the West campus' schools and departments opened their doors to the public to show off ASU's learning spaces.

Check out the Downtown Phoenix campus' Night of the Open Door event on Feb. 3 here — including healthy cooking demos, coral reef exploration, journalism technology of the future and more.  

If you missed the fun, don't worry: There are three more free Night of the Open Door events this month:

  • Polytechnic campus: 4-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17
  • Thunderbird campus: 4-8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18
  • Tempe campus: 3-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25

Read more about what's in store at each campus here, including information on the free app that can help visitors map out the activities they want to visit.

Get free tickets in advance online and enter to win a gift package. Tickets also function as an express pass to collect the free glow wand and event programs at the registration booths once on campus.

Check ASU Now after each event for photo galleries and video, and follow along as our crew shows all the fun on Snapchat (search for username: ASUNow). See photos from the Downtown Phoenix campus event here.

Top photo: Sebastian Flores listens for "Sammy's" breath at the nursing booth during Night of the Open Door on West Campus on Saturday evening.  Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now