Kinks, Curls, Rows & Fros!
In honor of Black History Month, the Black Student Athlete Association partnered up with other campus organizations to create an event called “The Chop.”
The Chop: Past, Present & Future is an event that has historically targeted young men of color; but with the collaboration of LSU's diverse minority student organizations, this year's event was catered towards individuals who may identify themselves with multiple genders and ethnicities. The theme for this year's event centered around hair struggles that individuals face within communities of color . The event was held on February 27th in the Atchafalaya Room located in the Student Union.
BSAA worked closely with the Black Male Leadership Initiative, the Kollective, the African American Cultural Center, and the Black Student Union.
Senior Tiger Girl and BSAA Community Programs assistant director Caliea Koehler helped bring much of the event into fruition.
“It was really fun being able to collaborate with other sides of campus that we normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to brainstorm and create ideas with. They brought a new perspective to the student experience that we hadn’t had before, which was really helpful and we met a lot of new faces,” Koehler said.
Black hair is an extremely integral part of the Black experience, and this event helped to shed light and create an impactful dialogue.
“The event was super important to us because hair is so fundamental to Black culture and at times needs more attention and care than the world gives it,” Koehler said. “ Providing education, and creating a safe place for discussion around policies and maintenance was our goal.”
The event also included several panelists to answer questions and share their own testimonies with the audience.
Freshman volleyball player and BSAA Community Programs member Bri Anderson said the event meant a lot to her for several reasons.
“This event was important to me because I don’t get a lot of opportunities to hear about African American hairstyles outside of the salon,” Anderson said. “I don’t get to hear about and see different hairstyles that are specifically for Black hair. Also, being able to learn about the different struggles that black men and women faced in the past because of their hair made me love the hairstyles I can do even more.”
Tiger Life supports self-development by providing quality resources and education that encourages our student-athletes to take ownership of their personal growth. For more information on Tiger Life and how the Tigers are becoming equipped to achieve at the highest levels, reach out to:
Director of Student-Athlete Engagement
tsmith22@lsu.edu
Director of Student-Athlete Professional Development
mweinsz@lsu.edu