Shippensburg University’s Frederick Douglass Institute (FDI) hosted the “Black is the Color of Love” panel and discussion Tuesday to shed light on black love and intimacy. 

Sharnine Herbert, liaison for FDI, introduced the organization, the panelists and the purpose of the event. Each panelist had a specific topic to present and educate the audience on, all of which surrounded the topic of black love.

First to speak was Kennedy Holt, vice president of FDI, on radical love and empathy in the black community. 

“When I think about radical empathy and love, for me that means love that must be abundant” Holt said. “It’s all encompassing, and it should not be contingent upon anything else.” 

Holt went over key principles of love and empathy and explained the issues the community faces within these subjects. She also explained how trauma can impact the ability to feel worthy and love effectively. 

President of FDI, K’Nya Holmes, and her girlfriend, Dejah Freeman, talked about unconventional love. Holmes and Freeman discussed their experiences being two women in a relationship within the black community. They
defined black love in their own
words and revealed the reasoning of these definitions. 

“Black love is unity and having the ability to push through hardships together,” Freeman said. “This type of love brings strength, understanding and solidarity into a relationship.”

Panelists Issac Ibela and Christian Laing discussed friendship and brotherhood. They talked about the aspects of life that brotherhood helps them through. Ibela and Laing gave examples of celebrity friendships that resemble theirs, as well as songs, pictures and historical figures that describe their relationship. Later in the event, they also expressed the value brotherhood
holds when attending a predominantly white institution. 

The next panelist to speak was Roderick Porter Jr., who explained the significance of empathy and black love in society. Porter said that empathy helped him form and mend relationships and brought joy into his life. He touched on the impact empathy and compassion can have on an individual and others alike and different from them.  

“Every day that you wake up, every person you talk to, just have empathy somewhere in mind,” Porter said. “You don’t know what people are going through, and you don’t know the situations people have been in.

Last to present was Kelli Link, who discussed generational shifts within the Black community. Link discussed what “normal” relationships look like to different generations, as well as Gen Z’s current approach to love. Link explained the harmful stereotypes black people face in the media and the affects they have on the community. 

Holt then gave her desired takeaway from this event. “Truly keep community at the forefront of your mind, because if you don’t see us as human, you won’t see us as anything else. If you don’t see us as human, you’re not going to see us as loveable people, as valuable people,” she said.

Once the panelists finished their presentations, they took questions and comments from the audience. As a result, the topic of social media quickly became a conversation. Many panelists chimed in about trends, culture and the negative impact that a lack of black love can have on people.

As the night came to an end, Holmes shared FDI’s goal in hosting this panel. She also discussed the misconceptions many have surrounding the black community and her hope that this panel spreads awareness.

“We got the ability to love just as anybody of any color,” Holmes said. “We just wanted to shed light on what black love may be to show this predominately white institution and campus
that there’s way more to black people than partying ... and fighting with each other. We can actually be unified with one another.”

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