The Black Male Initiative (BMI), a living and learning village at NC State, held an art exhibit in the African American Cultural Center Art Gallery on Sunday, March 23.
This marked BMI’s last art exhibit, as it was revealed that the program would shut down after the spring 2025 semester.
The Nubian Message interviewed Alcedos Vanderpool the graduate assistant of BMI and student participants Kaleb Lowry, Babilla Fondinka and Kameron Simpson, along with Art by AM service photographer Aaron Mullen.
The Nubian Message: What made you decide to participate in this exhibit and submit your work?
Kaleb Lowry: I submitted the artwork for today’s exhibit because I feel like BMI was a good opportunity to learn about the current representation of Black males in the US. I feel, with the current political standing, that’s something that we need more of.
Babilla Fondinka: I truly wanted to see a positive representation of Black males in this era of where it’s pretty common to kind of degrade or devalue the evolution of what it means to be Black in this country.
Kameron Simpson: Ever since I joined BMI from the beginning of the year, this was one of the events that was always hyped up and I always heard a lot about, and BMI has been an amazing resource that has helped me integrate and find my community on campus. So whenever we came to what seemed to be the biggest event for BMI, because I was already active in it—even though this was a bit out of my comfort zone— I was like, ‘yeah I want to try it! I want to get into it, I want to be a part of this.’
TNM: What were some inspirations for your art piece?
Vanderpool: A lot of the prompts talk about life experiences, so I was thinking about how I wanted to talk about my life experiences, but in a positive way, because you go through some negatives in life as well. And so I was like why don’t I just use my name? Because a lot of times people don’t know how to pronounce my name, and people don’t know how to spell my name. It was just something that was perfect for the moment, and it really helped me as I thought about what parts of my life I wanted to actually include in this, so it worked out for me.
Fondinka: I’m a first-generation African. My parents are from Cameroon, and I gladly claimed that as part of my heritage, and some of the things I wanted to shine through is my authenticity, my love for my whole nation and just a good reflection on the positives of a Black male in this country.
TNM: What was the message you were trying to convey or portray for this exhibit?
Vanderpool: Just that I’m me. I like to think that I’m still relatively new to NC State’s campus, so not a lot of people know me. I think this is a good opportunity for people to get to know me on a different level. A lot of times people see me in an administrative role, and so being able to kind of take that administrative mask off, and see me for who I really am.
Fondinka: I wanted people to see what Black excellence looks like, and that someone with such a multi-faceted personality can thrive, excel and really push what it means to be successful.
Simpson: I feel like my art piece, individually, doesn’t convey a message or my words… But I think when you look at mine, and you look at the person beside me, using the person across the room, it all comes together to show that while we do have this commonality in the way we look, the things that shape us and the things that make us very distinct, and it makes us alike. It all contributes to our Blackness and our community. (condensed quote)
Mullen: I wanted to go for a really clean look. I wanted to be able to just captivate an audience right when you’re walking into the exhibit. I want people to just gravitate towards photography. I want a lot of white open space in the photos and I wanted the students to kind of speak for themselves. (condensed quote)
TNM: What makes this art exhibit or show unique and different from other art shows?
Vanderpool: I think it’s unique because it allows these Black males to really express themselves in ways that maybe they usually wouldn’t be able to or not have the opportunity to. And I think that’s really what sets it apart. The fact that people who don’t necessarily get to tell their stories all the time are placed at the forefront, get to express themselves and really show NC State, Raleigh, whoever is able to watch and see the exhibit, who they really are, and kind of just leave their own statement and put it on paper.
Lowry: It’s unique because it’s specifically targeted towards representing Black males in a light that I don’t feel people are really looking for. When people are thinking about a Black man, they don’t think about us at college or striving to change the academic standing.
Simpson: I feel, for a lot of people [displaying their art in the exhibit], this is probably, or at least for me, this is my first art-inclined thing that I’ve done. I’ve heard a lot of similar things from other people in BMI. I guess that doesn’t necessarily make it different, but the combination of people new to art, working with people a bit more well-versed in art, in different mediums and modes. I think it all shapes together to make it really authentic and sort of really clearly representative of how we come together as a community. (condensed quote)
Mullen: Just seeing such a great collection of Black brilliance in one room is really inspiring. I’m also a product of a PWI [predominantly white institution]. I went to East Carolina [University], but I was a member of several initiatives on campus, similar to BMI. I was able to make lifelong friends who were able to support one another throughout our college journey, as well as at the college and those relationships are priceless. So just seeing all the energy that was in the room, seeing how inspired the students of BMI when they saw their work on the wall, that was truly amazing.
TNM: Tying to the previous question, why do you think it’s important to have an art show that showcases Black male artists?
Fondinka: I feel it … not forces, but it makes Black males [who] want to take part in this experience really delve deeper into what makes them the person that they are today and how that can be portrayed through the artwork here. (condensed quote)
Lowry: I really feel this is a very important exhibit for someone to be a part of, because it allows you to self-reflect on the people around you and your community and also the way in which you’re portrayed. The way you are portrayed is highlighted in a positive light.
Simpson: It opens more narrow-minded people’s eyes to how Black people, or Black men, can present themselves and their interests that they may be hiding. It essentially acts as a prep voice or a preparation thing to help people better digest Black men as they navigate the world. (condensed quote)
Mullen: I would say the Black man, in my honest opinion, is the most marginalized in the world. We have a lot of people in high, prominent places that want to take away our voice, take away our identity and our uniqueness. And I think BMI is crucial to just laying that foundation as a future. You know, Black men in America, essentially, those are the students who are in BMI at the moment. They’re going to graduate, they’re going to be doctors, they’re going to be lawyers, they’re going to be attorneys. But having those foundational blocks set up in their freshman and sophomore years in college is going to set the foundation for the rest of their life. So I think BMI does a really great job at just setting the standard for our Black males for the future.
TNM: Any other remarks, thoughts, and comments?
Mullen: I think in the political climate that we live in at the moment, it’s really important to just unapologetically be yourself. Always put your best foot forward, because you never know who you’re coming in contact with. From this event alone, I’ve been able to make a lot of really meaningful connections.
And you know, to the students who’s going to — who are going to read or listen to this publication, don’t ever give up on yourself. Always believe in yourself. Never take no for an answer.
And always learn how to pivot because being Black in America, you’re going to face opposition, you’re going to get hit with some noise, but you also have to just continue to remind yourself what you’re working for. What’s the most efficient way for you to get to that point?