2026 marks 100 years since the creation of Black History Week, which became Black History Month 50 years later.

"It's a great opportunity for us to all come together," said sophomore Alana Lake, who was at the event with her sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho. "Campus Life Night in the fall is great, but here, we're able to come together and see each other. Most of us are in more than one of these organizations," Lake said. "It's nice to represent all of our groups in one space."

At last year's event, 16 student organizations took part. This year, that number grew to 24, all of them filling the library's atrium with tables and poster boards to promote their student organizations to other students.

Presented by the Black Excellence program, the Black Student Union and the Center for Health and Well-being, the event let students and staff engage with Black and Afro-led registered student organizations to learn how they can get involved and support.

Jacob Wooten, a senior, shared that for him, the theme of continuing to elevate connects to his photography and videography work for Black/African American Student Engagement ( BAASE ). "I was already interested in photography and videography, and I wanted to be able to use that to elevate the African-American community of Grand Valley. It helps us get our name out there, sharing campus events and all that we have going on."