Miss Black EIU is cancelled this year due to low contestant interest, with only one student interested in competing, according to EIU Black Student Union adviser Ariel Taylor.

This year would have marked the 53rd annual Miss Black EIU pageant.

Miss Black EIU, which started in 1971, could return in the future, according to EIU Black Student Union president Kyla Broadway.

“It would depend on the board at hand,” said Broadway. “Me personally, I really love Miss Black EIU just because it’s been here for 52 years. I think anything with that many years behind it obviously carries a strong legacy.”

In Miss Black EIU’s place, BSU will host the Sankofa Awards, an award show with entertainment from various campus groups taking place throughout.

“The Sankofa Awards are something we’d like to start annually,” said Broadway. “Our goal with it is just to recognize different individuals on campus. We’re Black Student Union and it’s Black History Month, so it’s just a way to honor our legacy and our culture.”

The Sankofa Awards were modeled after the Black Entertainment Television Awards, according to Broadway. The event will honor Eastern alumni, students and faculty with awards.

Below are some of the awards that will be presented and their description, according to BSU’s guidelines:

• BSU Legacy Award: Recognizes one of Eastern’s alumni that reflects the values, history and mission of BSU.
• Rising Royalty Award: Recognizes a student that is actively involved on campus and demonstrates leadership potential.
• Heart of BSU Award: Recognizes a member of BSU that is reliable, dedicated and serves as a positive presence in the organization.
• Organization Award: Recognizes a registered student organization that actively supports BSU, promotes diversity and inclusion and fosters unity and empowerment across campus.

The full awards list including their description and criteria can be found here.

The event will also present the Cecilia Brinker Legacy Award, which is named after former Director of the Office of Leadership and Engagement Ceci Brinker, who retired in January.

Between awards, campus organizations like Couture Models and The Kat Walk will perform, Broadway said.

Fraternities and sororities from the National Pan-Hellenic Council will also perform, according to Broadway. She said it gives them a chance to be seen outside of their social events.

The Sankofa Awards’ name comes from the Akan language of Ghana, according to Black Student Union secretary Angeliyah Jenkins.

“‘Sankofa’ is a word from the Akan language of Ghana that means ‘to go back and retrieve what was left behind,’” said Jenkins in an email. “It serves as a reminder that to move forward we must honor our past, learn from it and uplift those who continue the legacy.”

Broadway said the event will be held in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union Grand Ballroom on Feb. 28 at 5:30 p.m. and will last for roughly an hour and a half.

Tickets will cost $7 for BSU members, $10 for EIU students and $20 for community members and alumni, according to Eastern’s website.

Aidan Cusack can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].