Students talk during a celebration of Makuu’s 25th anniversary.
Credit: Ebunoluwa AdesidaOn April 7, Penn Makuu: The Black Cultural Center held a conversation celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Hosted at the Arts, Research and Culture House, the event brought together about 30 Penn students and community members to focus on Makuu’s place and history at Penn. The event featured a moderated conversation between Brian Peterson, 2013 Ph.D. graduate and Makuu Director, and Karlene Burrell-McRae, 2009 Ph.D. graduate and Makuu’s founding director, followed by a question and answer session.
Burrell-McRae reflected on the accomplishments of Penn Makuu, highlighting the Robeson Cooper Scholars Program, which has been operating since 2007. Named after Paul Robeson — an African American singer, actor, and activist — and Anna Julia Cooper — an author, educator, and feminist speaker — the program gives a select group of students the opportunity to explore and study culturally relevant issues, with a focus on social justice.
Peterson discussed the importance of programs such as the Robeson Cooper Scholars Program.
“I didn't see people getting these awards look like me," he said, reflecting on his time at Penn. "I didn't know who I could even ask to apply.”
Peterson and Burrell-McRae also discussed the contemporary challenges facing Makuu.
“I’m really trying to honor this history, honor these 25 years, but it’s so hard,” Peterson said at the event. “We’re literally celebrating 25 years and don’t know if we’re gonna be here, right? How’s that even possible?”
Founded in 2000, Makuu serves as Penn’s cultural resource center for Black students and members of the community. Alongside W.E.B. Du Bois College House, the Center for Africana Studies, and the African-American Resource Center, Makuu adds to the core of the Black experience at Penn.
Burrell-McRae echoed Peterson's sentiment and emphasized the importance of considering "contextually where we are."
“How are we also iterating over time with change?” Burrell-McRae asked. “There are going to always be things that we’re fighting, systemic racism. Part of why Makuu and all the other spaces are here is to make sure we make the invisible visible, right? And to try to hold folks accountable.”
She went on to explain that it is important for Black students to become part of the community at Penn, and not simply exist on the margins.
“We never want Black students to just survive in these places,” Burrell-McRae said. “If you’re not feeling like this is your space, you’re not going to go to fellowships and prizes. You’re not going to do study abroad. You’re not going to go to the counseling center.”
When asked for her advice for students, Burrell-McRae emphasized the importance of being involved and interacting with others.
“Be curious and be present,” Burrell-McRae said. “The truth is, it’s really kind of curious, loving human beings who start with self care and it takes any of us much, much longer to get to that, or people convince us that it is selfish, or those are soft skills, but the truth is they are not.”
In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, Peterson expressed his pride in the milestone achieved by Makuu and emphasized the importance of such spaces in fostering student growth and community engagement.
“As Makuu celebrates 25 years, it was an honor for me as the second director to be in conversation with the founding director and Penn alum, Karlene Burrell-McRae,” Peterson wrote. “Makuu is proud to be a campus resource for all students as they explore their identities, build relationships, and engage with the broader Philadelphia community. It was great to see so many students, colleagues, and partners in the room for this event.”
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