Low turnout at the college’s annual Ebony Ball has raised concerns among students about communication and community-building efforts for Black students on campus.
The Ebony Ball, an event hosted by Columbia’s Black Student Union, struggled this year with low attendance, leaving some students questioning the visibility and outreach of Black-centered events on campus.
While the event was aimed to celebrate Black student’s achievements, community and leadership — the turnout highlighted ongoing challenges for Black students seeking connection at the college.
BSU hosted its annual Ebony Ball on Saturday, April 26, aiming to celebrate the end of the academic year and honor graduating Black students.
This year’s theme, Black Harlem Renaissance, paid homage to a historical era of Black creativity and cultural pride with a dress code calling for semi-formal looks and a nod to Harlem’s iconic era.
The event, held on the 5th floor of the Student Center, followed the Donning of the Kente cloth ceremony earlier that afternoon, a newfound Columbia tradition for Black graduates presented with stoles and acknowledgements from members of the BSU community.
BSU Co-Vice President Chaya Ross, a junior film and television major, said that although Donning of the Kente has just started within the last five years, BSU’s Ebony Ball has been thrown annually since the early 2000s.
“It’s the end of the year event for Black Student Union, and you’re supposed to celebrate yourself and feel beautiful as well,” Ross said. “All of us are working towards fostering a community where everyone can feel like they belong.”
Organizers rolled out a red carpet glittered in yellow sparkles, lining the walls with gold tassels and black and gold balloons. Two rotating DJs played sets throughout the evening. The evening also featured catering from Black-owned business, S2 Express Grill.
Despite the atmosphere, attendance was low. The event, which was also open to outside guests, had fewer than 30 students compared to 53 registered attendees last spring. Food supplies also quickly dwindled within the first hour.
“This is the first event I’ve come to,” said first-year exploratory major Mi’Ky Crowley. “I was overhearing that it’s a pattern of not a lot of people coming out to Black oriented events.”
Some first-year students shared that they only heard about the event hours before it began. Others expressed that the energy inside the ballroom didn’t match their expectations.
“We actually just found out about it, like an hour or two before it was happening,” said first-year musical theater major Mariah Howard. “I haven’t really heard much about [the Ebony Ball], and I wasn’t seeing any events on Engage.”
First-year illustration major Jade Flournoy said while they appreciated the event’s promotion, the energy didn’t match what they had seen at other previous campus events.
“I wish it was a little more energetic, a lot more people dancing,” said Flournoy. “At first coming in, we didn’t know if it was the right event, because nobody was up.”
Flournoy also noted that although BSU had effective advertising through their Instagram page, there were also fewer Black students than expected.
“Compared to the Blood Ball, it’s completely different, everybody was up and dancing,” said Flournoy.
Over 200 attendees attended this year’s Blood Ball Night Circus compared to 25 students in attendance for BSU’s Ebony Ball. The sharp contrast was not lost on first-year students experiencing BSU programming for the first time.
This year’s numbers also come as Columbia’s Black undergraduate population has seen modest growth. During the Fall 2024 semester, Black students made up 18.7% of the student body, up from 17.6% the previous year, according to college enrollment data.
Still, many students said finding spaces that feel accessible and welcoming remains a challenge particularly for first-years and those outside established friend groups.
First-year creative writing major Kryslyn Hughes said the intimacy of the smaller group made her feel slightly more comfortable but acknowledged it wasn’t what she initially expected.
“This is pretty much my first time just being here and BSU has helped me connect to people that I never thought I could really connect with,” said Hughes. “With this kind of being a semi medium group, I feel a little bit comfortable.”
Ross acknowledged that barriers BSU has faced such as challenges in student outreach following leadership transitions in the fall and transparency issues with the SOC with budgeting for food and decorations have made event planning harder. She also said that student receptiveness is not always there for Black students on campus.
“People do still feel like BSU isn’t a space they belong in,” she said. “Next fall, I hope we can just foster community.”
Copy edited by Patience Hurston
