To wrap up the celebration of Black History Month, the fourth annual Black Excellence Gala was held in the Clark Student Center Comanche Suites Feb. 23.

More than 70 people attended the event which included dinner, a guest speaker, a student speaker, and awards throughout the night.

Charles Frazier, athletic training graduate of 2017, winning most impactful alumni, said the gala was created so there would be a signature event to celebrate black culture.

“I was one of the students who helped to create the gala. It is a celebration of culture. When we created this event, it was mainly to celebrate black culture and to also have an event where black students could feel more of a sense of belonging and feel like they have an impact,” Frazier said.

Frazier said the gala creates a large family atmosphere that brings a good end to Black History Month.

“From the keynote speaker, to the student highlights, to giving out the awards to students, faculty and staff, we’re just celebrating each other,” Frazier said.

Charlene Hood, pre-med senior, said this was her first time attending the gala and she attended because it gave her a sense of belonging.

“I came this year because I see the gala as something very important. It gives me a sense of belonging and I thought it would be very inspiring. The guest speaker was quite inspiring, I don’t regret coming,” Hood said.

Hood said she enjoyed the gala very much but the most impactful part was the speaker, Anastasia Reed.

“My favorite part of the gala was the speech by the guest speaker, it was very inspiring. It showed that she had a strong will to succeed and she overcame things that she and others didn’t think she would be able to,” Hood said.

Tre’vonne Bradford, exercise physiology senior and president of the Black Student Union, said dressing up in their best clothes, and coming out and recognizing people who have made strides on campus and in the community, is what makes the event so inspiring.

“One thing I always do is encourage others to go to these types of events whether you’re black, white, anything, is really just so that you can support and celebrate the achievements of people who have been here for a while and their strides they are making to make MSU a better college community,” Bradford said.

Bradford said the gala is the one event where people come together and see all the achievements and excellence of everyone in the black community.

“It is important to hold this gala because sometimes people forget the black excellence that is around. It is the main event where you get to see all the achievements of everyone in the black community on campus,” Bradford said.