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One event on the docket among Texas Lutheran University’s Black History Month festivities includes a soul food night and lip sync battle. When developing the event, the dining team works with the campus’ Black Student Union. “It empowers [black students] and gives them a stronger voice,” says Michael Sanders, director of dining services at the Seguin, Texas, university. Sanders also reached out to different faculty and staff members for more input while planning the event.
MacRae also recommends doing outside research before an event, noting that “[b]ooks are written for a reason.” As an African-American woman and the former co-owner of a soul food and creole restaurant, Kingfish Cafe in Seattle, she taps her own expertise with a cooking demonstration, bringing an educational component to the celebration.