Each year, Black History Month, which is every February, is celebrated at Point Park. The Black Student Union (BSU) held its second annual “Black Jamboree” as the first in a series of events to celebrate the month.
On Feb. 4, the BSU held their Black Jamboree event in Lawrence Hall 200, commonly known around campus as “The Fishbowl.” The event included food provided by CulinArt, music and vendors.
This year’s Jamboree differed from last year’s, which featured a DJ. A stereo system was brought in this time, allowing music to be played from a phone.
The event also served as an outlet for local vendors and students to show off and sell their brands.
“It’s just like an event where we have some vendors come in and we try to push for people to support them,” Kayla Brown, president of the BSU, said. “We have some vendors this year that are students, so that’s even better.”
Brown said the BSU wanted to keep this event casual in anticipation for their upcoming events this month, which she said are going to be bigger.
Alyse Fowlks, owner of “The Colab,” a retail marketplace for small businesses, was one of the vendors at the Jamboree.
Fowlks said her business allows smaller businesses to sell their products within her store.
“Right now we have clothing, body products, smoke accessories and candles,” Fowlks said.
Fowlks, displaying her products, business proclamation and awards at her table, celebrated the three year anniversary of her business.
Dorian Boatswain, another vendor at the Jamboree, owns the brand “Stuck in the Club” and operates in Fowlks’ store.
Boatswain is a musician and recent Point Park alumnus whose stage name is “DrogoMac.” Stuck in the Club is his high-end sweatsuit brand.
“Stuck in the Club is funny,” Boatswain said. “It’s from my first EP that I dropped. It’s based on what we do every weekend, so we’re in the club every weekend, so that’s why I figured I’d make it like my actual life.”
Jarren Solomon, a junior at Point Park majoring in business management and entrepreneurship, sold his brand of clothing, “Prosperity,” at the event.
Solomon said Prosperity is more of a motive and not yet a full fashion line.
“I intend to expand it just to show that there’s a way to come up in this world, no matter how you may come up,” Solomon said. “You can work towards your aspirations and your goals and it’s always something that you could work for in your life.”
Damir Lomax, another recent alumnus of Point Park, was the last vendor at the Jamboree, promoting his brand “Muscle-Up Club,” with the motive of helping to inspire people to work out and discover themselves.
“I got a hammer on the logo, and that basically means that you can define anything and do anything that you want,” Lomax said. “[On] the back, it says ‘no limits’ because you can really do anything that you want in life, and there’s no limit on what you can do tomorrow.”
Lomax launched Muscle-Up Club in August 2024.
“Just follow your dreams and find something you love,” Lomax said. “There’s no limit to what you can do.”
Brown said anyone is welcome to attend BSU events.
“We’re having Black History Month events all month, every single week, except for spring break, so make sure you come and be on the lookout for all of our events,” Brown said. “Spread the word if you want more people to come, and don’t be afraid to come to our events. We are just trying to get the support of the Black community out there.”
