Contestants for the Mr. and Ms. U of I Pageant 2014 display their talents in front of judges and peers at the Illini Union on October 21.
Racial animosity lit up campus in 1969 when Charlynn Chamberlain, an African-American student, was crowned Homecoming queen. The controversy and racial backlash African-Americans faced slowly lead students to host African-American events of their own in an attempt to celebrate their culture and make the University feel more like home.
“There was a big need for (the African-American Homecoming) at the time that (Illini Union Board) started it off,” said Snegha Ramnarayanan, the vice president of programs for the IUB and senior in Engineering. “I think things have changed a lot since we first started it. But no matter what we decide to change, something like that should always be there to cater to students.”
What was originally created to foster a safe place for African-Americans on a segregated campus has evolved, and today it welcomes students from all backgrounds. In the past, the African-American Homecoming Week included several events: a step show, a fashion show, a pageant, a talent show and the African-American Homecoming Party at Campus Rec Center-East. However, over the years, participation has hit an all-time low, causing the event calendar to fluctuate from year to year. This year, the African-American Homecoming includes only the pageant — which crowned one male and one female as Mr. and Ms. U of I — and the IUB African-American Homecoming Party.
“IUB strives to put on events for the students. If we see that students aren’t attending or aren’t responding to a certain event, we as a board have that discussion to either change the event or take it off the schedule for that year,” Ramnarayanan said. “Some events have been cut, but that is because students haven’t been responding to them.”
The loss of events leaves the African-American community on campus with varying experiences and perceptions of what the African-American Homecoming actually is. Last year, for example, the CRCE Dance — the first event added to the African-American Homecoming by IUB — was canceled due to low ticket sales. This left an entire class of freshmen and transfer students unaware of one of the most prominent and long-standing traditions of African-American Homecoming.
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“What I saw my freshmen year and the experiences I had with African-American Homecoming made me want to join IUB,” said Ayanna Williams, vice president of finance for IUB and senior in LAS.
IUB is the primary organization on campus that plans the African-American Homecoming events, and because the board is made up of students, they are able to respond to what the student population wants in the event line-up. The cancellation of the CRCE party was a disappointment to some board members, and they are hopeful that this year’s event will produce a better turn out.
“The pageant and also CRCE party are rooted in a lot of peoples’ freshman experience,” said Jaylin McClinton, vice president of policy for IUB and junior in LAS. “I had a cousin who went here and talked about both the pageant and CRCE party and a lot of the other events, and I think that if we can build that type of energy again for new students, then the events will be successful.
The loss of events is not the only change this year. The issue of inclusivity and the debate over African-Americans self-segregating have become controversial and important topics currently on campus. This year, the pageant did not include “African-American” in the event title. Instead, it was renamed: Mr. and Ms. U of I Pageant.
With the change, there is a lot more diversity present at the Mr. and Ms. U of I Pageant. But as historic African-American events begin to diversify, the long-term effects leave some students on campus weary and nervous about what the changes could potentially lead to.
“If there was a non-black winner, I feel like (black students) would be perfectly fine with it, but if it happened consecutively, then I feel like black students wouldn’t even apply because they would feel like it’s not for them,” Williams said.
The African-American Homecoming was created to make black students feel safe and comfortable on a segregated campus, but the University may have reached the point where the program no longer serves its original purpose.
“When other cultural groups come together for events, it’s just them celebrating their culture, but when African-Americans come together for an event, it’s labeled as ‘self-segregation,’” said Damian Azubuike, senior in Business. “African-American Homecoming brings the black community together, caters to different musical preferences and provides a sense of belonging.”
By changing the names of the Homecoming events, the IUB hopes to increase participation and promote inclusivity to the fullest.
“These are Homecoming events; they are for everyone. I think when you have names like that, students feel a little confused if they are welcome to go to it. It is not just for one community,” Ramnarayanan said. “I think Homecoming is Homecoming. Everybody should feel welcome at all times, and if they’re not, there’s something that needs to be done about it.”
Darrah can be reached at perryma2@dailyillini.com.