The movement for a Black American Studies major grew even larger Saturday at Sam Rinella Field as more than 100 students braved cold winds and unseasonably low temperatures to show their support for making the program a major at SIUC.

Across from Brush Towers, a group of students by a makeshift stage complete with a DJ and balloons danced and rapped along with the music as a petition circulated amongst them.

Two big charcoal grills cooked chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs as attendees did their best to eat quickly, before their food could cool down. DJ Maliki Faucet had Will Smith’s “Summertime” blasting out from two huge speakers as a song choice he called “wishful thinking.” Graffiti artists showed some style on two poster-sized boards set up a safe distance from the grills.

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The event was a joint effort between Underground Arts, a Registered Student Organization for students interested in hip hop culture, and Project Aware, a grassroots movement aiming to inform students about BAS.

Maria Stuart, a senior from Chicago majoring in University Studies because her first choice, BAS, is not offered at SIUC, founded Project Aware. Stuart said the group got its name because its members want to spread awareness, but it is also an acronym for Project Are We Aware Racism Exists.

Stuart said working with Underground Arts was a way to get more people behind her cause. Brandon Moore founded the group to organized SIUC’s hip hop scene.

“The whole hip hop, Underground Arts thing is the hook to get people interested,” Moore said. “Then you hit them with political infusion.”

Stuart said since February a petition has been making the rounds in Carbondale to show student support for the program. Saturday’s event brought in more than 100 new signatures.

Stuart said they are also circulating a faculty petition. She said it has not been received as warmly as its student counterpart.

“We’ve got a lot of response on our student petitions, but faculty…” Stuart said. She paused for a moment and sighed. “We’re having a hard time getting faculty to sign our petition.”

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While more than 500 students have signed the petition and 874 voted for a referendum in support of the program, Stuart said many faculty members aren’t echoing the students cries for the major.

“What I hear is there are faculty and administration who are against it,” Stuart said. “But they’re behind closed doors.”

Student leaders in support of the program were anything but behind closed doors.

Fresh off of wins in the Student Trustee and Undergraduate Student Government elections respectively, Tequia Hicks and Nate Brown both came out to show their support. Brown and Hicks said they were dedicated to the cause.

“I’m willing to do anything I can to work with students and faculty to provide the resources needed to make Black American Studies a major,” Hicks said.

Brown said he is going to declare BAS as a minor this fall and do his best to make sure USG becomes more active in similar events.

“This is what your student government should be involved in,” Brown said. “Government is about people. Life is about people. You have to understand where people have come from and where people are going to understand life.”

Funding for the more than $3,000 event was partially provided by the Black Affairs Council. Kevin Winstead, the president of the group, said even though the weather could have been better, he was happy with the way the event turned out and what happened Saturday was a blueprint for future rallies.

Stuart said Project Aware is just getting started.

“This is definitely not the end,” Stuart said. “It’s not time to be quiet yet.”

Reporter Zack Quaintance can be reached at [email protected].