Bernice Gitiche, Contributing Photographer

This Saturday, the Black Student Alliance at Yale held its annual “Welcome Black!” cookout at Scantlebury Park. 

From first years to seniors, students from all backgrounds gathered together to celebrate blackness at the park behind Yale Health. According to Sarah Anane ’28, the BSAY cookout helped alleviate a sense of discomfort for many freshmen. 

“[This event] will benefit me by having me make connections with other Black students in our grade,” Anane told the News. “[The cookout helped] getting to know more about the community in our school, so I can be more comfortable and learn from people who look more like me.”  

As the event kicked off, students lined up for an array of meals, from mac and cheese and fried chicken to Jamaican patties and vegan samosas. 

The organizing committee provided picnic blankets, and attendees were able to scatter among the park in groups. A diverse song selection by artists such as Burna Boy, PartyNextDoor, 2Pac and J.Cole played through the speakers. 

“The food is great, the people are great. We are able to share our culture, and it’s just great being here,” Ricardo Nuñez ’28 told the News.

Residents of a predominantly Black neighborhood held their celebration next to the BSAY cookout. As the reunion’s organizer invited all attendees to dance to culturally significant songs, the two events merged, and Yale students were able to celebrate with a group of New Haven locals. 

The park felt alive, filled with people of all ages and backgrounds dancing to a wide range of songs familiar to them, from the “Wobble” to “Candy.” 

“It’s important to show Black students here that you have a space, you have a support system, you deserve to be here, and we are all here for you,” Birikti Kahsai ’27, BSAY’s vice president, said. 

Kahsai added that being able to connect with Black New Haven residents brought a moment of “Black joy and unity” in the park which helped to set the year off right. 

Scantlebury Park is located at 139 Ashmun St.