Photo courtesy of Bramblett Group: FHU International Students gather for a group photo Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, following their presentations during chapel.
Henderson — In addition to a schedule of Black History Month programs in February, Freed-Hardeman University celebrated its international students with a special chapel service and cultivated lunch menu Feb. 23. Nineteen international students walked into the chapel carrying the flags of their home countries before they shared facts about their cultures and their countries with the student body. Some of the international students played a big role in the taste of the day’s food, which included dishes that represented South American, Middle Eastern, African, French and Caribbean cuisines.
“Our international students are a long way from home, but we want them to feel that Freed-Hardeman is their home away from home,” Karen Cypress, associate professor from the FHU College of Education said. Cypress is one of the administrators who helped coordinate the day. “It was perfect to pair this day with Black History Month, a time of reflection, as well as a time to promote unity and understanding.”
Many of the international students shared what they love about their home countries including the prowess of their football (soccer) teams, topography of the land, and the food and friendliness of the people. “I had to share that Haiti is the first Black Republic,” Lith-Amar “Tattoo” Viciere, a social science major, said. Viciere wore a custom skirt and a T-shirt that read “First Black Republic.” “It is a huge deal and a powerful story. I am a proud Haitian and a proud Christian.”
Russian student Grigori Sibilev shared his pride for the food of his country and its various cities and countryside.
FHU senior Grant Hunter enjoyed both the chapel presentations and the international lunch. “I thought it was good getting to learn more about our international students,” said Hunter, whose roommate is from Haiti. During the international lunch, Hunter ate bobotie, a South African dish made with curry seasoned beef and egg topping and baklava and blueberry bread pudding for dessert.
FHU freshmen Vivian Blackmer and Kaylee Sexson sampled the bobotie, and also tried the choripan with chimichurri — a grilled sausage sandwich topped with chimichurri (a creamy sauce). “I spent five years in Paraguay when my parents were doing mission work, so I had choripan all of the time. That brought back memories,” Blackmer said. “We shared a plate, and that way we got to taste a little of everything,” Sexson added. The students enjoyed the diverse menu and the cultural exchange. “The more we know about people, the more we can live life together and easily understand where other people are coming from and why they might make certain decisions,” Hunter said.
Following International Student Day, FHU concluded its Black History Month programming with a poetry reading about Emmett Till as part of the Professors on Poetry series. FHU English Assistant Professor Neil Segars facilitated a discussion following the reading of four selected poems — “The Last Quatrain of the Ballad of Emmett Till” by Gwendolyn Brooks; “Riddle” by Jericho Brown; “That Chile Emmett in that Casket” by Patricia Smith; and “A Psalm for Emmett Till” by Renee Watson. FHU student Fred Smith, Chester County native Janice Pirtle, and Nadine McNeal, FHU director of social work, recited the poems. Margaret Payne, chair of the department of communication and literature and Tyrone Tony Reed, Jr., a digital media manager at Forever Communications, participated in the panel discussion.
Pirtle, who was 6 years old when Till was murdered, and is now in her 70’s, shared with the students how her parents used Till’s murder and the subsequent photos of his traumatized body
(Published by Jet Magazine) as a lesson about how to behave in the South as a Black child. “I’ve always been a listener, so I listened when my parents gave us ‘the talk’ about how to speak, dress and where to be to avoid certain situations,” Pirtle said. “In our household, the picture came out many, many times. We continued to have it drilled into us — ‘you must behave a certain way.’ We discussed it as children. What is it within people that allows them to do something to someone that you wouldn’t want done to yourself? This is a worthy subject.”
Reed added that as a child in the 1980s, he also received “the talk” from his parents. McNeal said the poetry reading was meant to give the student body some insight into Till’s history. Pirtle encouraged the students to be brave to make a difference in the world. “Think about Mrs. Till,” she said, “to make a difference in our little corner. If we accept the challenge, our community will be changed.”
FHU held several events during Black History Month, including a screening of the film “Till” Feb. 3, a chapel presentation about Symbols of Hate led by James H. Dalton, director of the FHU M.S. in Counseling Programs and Graduate Certificates in Counseling. The university began Black History Month with chapel speaker Larry Ivery, who gave a presentation about Marshall Keeble and his devotion to the Lord’s church, baptizing more than 40,000.
FHU’s BRIDGES committee will continue its efforts to foster diversity and inclusion on FHU’s campus. BRIDGES is an acronym for Belonging to the FHU Community, Reinforcing God’s love for all, Integrating an inclusive learning environment, Developing a kingdom culture, Growing together, Embracing diversity and Strengthening our communities. BRIDGES and the cultural diversity committee and point team for the FHU Strategic Bridge plan 3.1 are working together to increase the understanding of racial diversity and unity in order to better reflect the kingdom. FHU President David R. Shannon said the university is committed to its work of being family in pursuit of peace through genuine Godly love.
The mission of Freed-Hardeman University is to help students develop their God-given talents for His glory by empowering them with an education that integrates Christian faith, scholarship and service. With locations in Henderson and Memphis, FHU offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist and doctoral degrees. Additional information is available at fhu.edu.
