[Pictures] University of Alabama’s Wakanda Scholarship Ball

February is Black History Month. It was only fitting for the University of Alabama’s Black Faculty and Staff Association to hold their first Wakanda Scholarship Ball this month.

Saturday, February 5^th, the UA BFSA hosted their first Wakanda Scholarship Ball in the Bryant Conference Center.  This event was truly an evening of royalty.

Attendees came dressed in their traditional African and after-five cocktail attire. The room was beautifully decorated and the ambiance was set from the beginning with the sultry sounds of Mr. Loyd Watson Jr., on the saxophone.

Everyone loved the amazing vocals that were on display from Nimi Ighofose.

Proceeds from the event went toward the BFSA Annual Support Fund and the BFSA Quasi-Endowed Scholarship Fund. These funding opportunities aid BFSA in awarding scholarships, funding student-centered programming, and helping with needs-based requests impacting minority students attending The University of Alabama.
Currently, minority enrollment at UA is the highest it’s ever been at 22%. This is the highest minority enrollment than any College or University in the State of Alabama, including HBCUs.

The ball featured a short awards ceremony that included participants from the Dr. Trudier Harris Intercollegiate Black History Scholars Bowl which took place that morning. The team from Alabama A&M ended up taking home the trophy for the second year in a row.

Also, at the ball, the audience heard words from Andrew Pernell. Mr. Pernell and four other students became the first five black players to walk on to the historically segregated University of Alabama football team.

There was plenty of smiles, dancing, and joy to go around the room at this historic event.

Every event needs a great host, and Mattie J was just that. She kept the laughs going and the program moving along with the help of co-host Big Dawg DreDay of Townsquare Media.

During an interview, Mattie J spoke on what it meant to host the first Wakanda Scholarship Ball. “I witnessed such excellence. It was absolutely beautiful,” Mattie J said.

“To have hosted the very first one, I’m so thankful.”

If you’d like to learn more about the UA BFSA, click here to visit their website.

Check out the full interview with Mattie J below.