McMaster BSAC hosts Super Sunday event for Black History Month
In a weekend with both volleyball and basketball games occurring, McMaster Black Student Athlete Council spotlights Black student-athletes and local businesses
On Feb. 8, the McMaster Black Student Athlete Council hosted its Super Saturday event for Black History Month, coinciding with four Marauders sports games on campus. The event is one of McMaster BSAC’s most prominent and included a range of vendors from the local community.
The day started with a women’s basketball game, followed by men’s basketball, then women’s and men’s volleyball.
McMaster BSAC’s president, Haben Yohannes, emphasized that when planning the event, his team wanted it to make an impact on both students and the community.
“As for the event itself, the idea was we didn't want to make it performative. It was like, how can we have value and impact? We're not going to just have a game just to have a game. We're gonna do it so we can have some sort of impact,” said Yohannes.
We’re not going to just have a game just to have a game. We're gonna do it so we can have some sort of impact.
Haben Yohannes, President
McMaster Black Student Athlete Council
One key feature of the event was the playing of a video by Tayo Smith and Mice Cibangu, members of BSAC’s executive team. The video provided a narration and visual about the weight of expectation that can be felt by Black student-athletes and how their presence inspires future generations.
“So the video we made was very intentional. I'd like to shout out Tayo Smith. . . he did an amazing job leading that project with one of our executives, Mice Cibangu. They did an amazing job with that video. Their idea was we don't need to tell them, let's show them—we're more than athletes—and that was completely their vision and they did a great job,” said Yohannes.
Along with showing the video at the game, the event brought Black-owned businesses to campus.
“We had a Black market and club showcase in the mezzanine. These small vendors came in and they sold their products, and those products are informed by their culture. So we don't need to sit in an assembly and be like, ‘Black culture is this.’ You can just see it live in action—that was the intention,” said Yohannes.
You can just see it live in action—that was the intention.
Haben Yohannes, President
McMaster Black Student Athlete Council
McMaster BSAC also aimed for this event to create a space for wider community engagement. They sent out invitations to local sports clubs and community sponsors to attend.
“We reached out to STA, which is the Steeltown Athletic Club. They have a basketball program, and we provided them with some free tickets to engage some of our community sponsors. The women's basketball team, they brought in teams that they've worked with. So we really tried to engage the community and have that impact,” said Yohannes.
As the Super Sunday event for Black History Month came and passed, BSAC is proud that they successfully brought together McMaster students and the sports and athletics community in Hamilton, while highlighting Black-owned businesses and student-athletes. For future events and information about BSAC, you can visit their Instagram.
