The Silver Needle Runway and the Black Student Union Host Black History Month Panel
The Black History Month Panel Event. Photo by Maya Waters '28
On Feb. 11, Jayda Cockett ‘26, the student coordinator of event and brand engagement for Silver Needle Runway (SNR), in collaboration with the Black Student Union (BSU), hosted a Black History Month Panel in the Winter Gardens of Steel Plant.
Four people who are influential not only to Marist University but also to African American representation in leadership came to speak. The panel consisted of Corey Smith, head of Diversity and Inclusion for Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (LVMH) North America, Justine Cole ‘26, president of Marist’s Black Student Union, Sika Sena-Akoto ‘26, fashion design student, and Edward Antonio, vice president of Community and Belonging.
Cockett asked the panel a series of questions, highlighting the importance and significance of their roles. Her first question to the panel was, “When you hear 100 years of Black History Month, what does that milestone mean to you?”
The answers that followed were moving. Antonio said that he’d “like to suggest that we’re celebrating more than 100 years of Black achievement and struggle.” While Cole said, “I like how the conversation has shifted to our art and beauty and not just the struggle.”
When discussing how their early lives and upbringing shaped their leadership, Smith drew on his experience as a first-generation American citizen originally from Panama.
“Having come from a family that didn’t have this generational connection to the U.S… there was this energy that we could do anything and live the American dream.” He said that this idea was only strengthened when he started working after college at the largest minority-owned company and saw people who looked like him in positions of power.
“The people I grew up with raised me not based on the color of my skin, but as a human being,” Antonio added.
Cockett closed out the panel by asking the panelists what they thought the future of Black representation would look like over the next five years. They all shared their visions for Black leadership and their hope that representation for African Americans becomes more commonplace.
Cockett wanted to make a difference with this initiative and put a lot of work into planning and executing the event. The idea was initially presented by a member of Cockett’s team, Imani Roman ‘28.
“When the idea was first presented, I immediately felt excited, but I also felt the weight and responsibility that comes with hosting an event of this significance. It was important to me that we approached it as such,” Cockett explained. “Seeing everything come together was an incredibly proud moment for both my team and myself. It required extensive preparation, communication and perseverance, especially in securing the panelists we envisioned.”
“My team worked tirelessly to identify and secure the panelists who aligned with our vision. We were intentional about every detail, from outreach and networking to layout design, email communication, marketing strategy and printed materials. There were many moving parts behind the scenes,” Cockett explained.
Black History Month is an important celebration of representation in our society. Bringing these kinds of events to Marist opens the doors to recognizing the black leaders in our own community.
“I can confidently say it stands as one of my proudest moments since being at Marist University,” Cockett said. “I hope it resonated just as deeply with other students across the Marist community.”