UTRGV Leadership and Social Change hosted “Cultural Chat: Coffee and Jazz” last Thursday in the Music, Science & Learning Center on the Brownsville campus.
Students enjoyed pastries, refreshments and live music by the Jazz Combo to celebrate Black History Month.
During the event, students sat at tables and chatted with one another while facing the musicians. It was a lively scene with upbeat jazz music that inspired camaraderie.
Sara Camacho, a psychology sophomore, said she had the idea Fall 2019 during a brainstorming meeting where Leadership and Social Change planned events for different cultures.
“Jazz is, like, a huge part of the black culture and I know it isn’t as showcased on, like, the media and stuff like that,” Camacho said. “It’s something new that we don’t really, like, showcase a lot in the [Rio Grande] Valley so I just wanted to bring it up.”
Asked what people could take away from the event she replied, “to be more inclusive of different cultures. … There’s a lot of different cultures out there in the world, it’s not just Hispanics.”
Vanessa Sandoval, program coordinator for Leadership and Social Change, said part of her job is to bring representation for black students on campus.
“We want them to feel welcome,” Sandoval said. “We want them to feel that they are being heard and they’re being represented here in our university whether it’s in the Brownsville or in the Edinburg campuses.”
She said the program wanted to create an environment where students could enjoy themselves and appreciate different cultures.
“We wanted to provide that immersion of, like, hearing something different and seeing how that has been influenced for Black History Month,” Sandoval said.
Blanca Treviño, a mass communication senior, said she chose to attend the event because she loves supporting the arts and enjoys events where culture and music are celebrated.
“Hearing the music, it’s really beautiful,” Treviño said.
Asked what she took away from the event she replied, “Unity, and like I said, supporting groups. Maybe allowing yourself to be more educated on topics that you weren’t knowledgeable about before.”
Treviño said it is important for UTRGV to have events like this because it raises awareness about certain topics that people shy away from.
“An [event] like this, rather than scaring people away from wanting to learn more, or like you know, it’s not a boring event, like, it’s really pretty to come and … to be with friends and hear this kind of music,” she said.
Francisco Chapa, a music education sophomore, played alto saxophone during the event with the UTRGV Jazz Combo.
“I feel very honored that UTRGV and this program invited us to play because I feel like no other music could have been good for this event other than jazz,” Chapa said.
Asked why it was important to incorporate jazz music at the event, he replied, “I just think it’s very culturally appropriate. Especially, since back in the beginning of jazz, even now, it used to mainly be an African American art form, and it’s one of America’s truest art forms. I think it was just perfect for this event.”
In March, the Leadership and Social Change program will host an event called, “The Taste of Korea,” which will familiarize students with Korean cuisine and culture.
