Blackhawk Hosts Annual Soul Food Luncheon
February 21, 2023
About 200 people gathered Tuesday for Blackhawk Technical College’s annual Soul Food Luncheon. The event, which raises money for the college’s Diversity Scholarship Fund, was held for the first time in person since February 2020.
“It’s truly wonderful to have so many people together, chatting and enjoying a meal prepared by Blackhawk’s Culinary Arts students,” said Dr. Tracy Pierner, President of Blackhawk.
Hosted by Blackhawk’s Multi-Cultural Alliance, the Student Government Association, the Culinary Arts Department and the BTC Foundation, the Soul Food Luncheon supports scholarships and is a key part of the college’s Black History Month celebration.
This year, the event featured musical performances by LaChelle Newkirk and Harlan Jefferson. Two recipients of the Blackhawk Diversity Scholarship, Jalil Luckey, a Digital Marketing student, and Linh Trinh, a Radiography student, also spoke at the event, which Linda Fair, an Academic Advisor at Blackhawk emceed.
The menu included baked/fried chicken, ham, fried catfish, BBQ ribs, okra, candied yams, collard greens, cole slaw, black-eyed peas, macaroni and cheese, cornbread and rolls.
About the Diversity Scholarship
The BTC Foundation established the Diversity Scholarship to foster an environment that appreciates and values an increasingly diverse student body; to increase the recruitment, retention, and graduation of a diverse student body; and to develop student interest, involvement, and leadership in diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility initiatives at the College. The scholarship is, in part, funded by the proceeds of the annual Soul Food Luncheon held every year in February. Scholarship amounts from $250 to $1,000 are awarded to multiple students each semester. Students can be enrolled (or will be enrolling) in any program at Blackhawk and are a member of an underrepresented or marginalized group. Students can either be enrolled as part-time (minimum six credits) or full-time students and must be in good academic standing. This scholarship is available to new or continuing students.