Celebrating Black History Month with Sisters

Member Spotlight: Maranda Calhoun, Pi Rho – University of West Georgia

Black History Month has been celebrated in February since 1976. As we take time to reflect this month, we had a chance to chat with Maranda Calhoun, Pi Rho – University of West Georgia, about not only her experience as a Delta Zeta, but also about what Black History Month means to her as a Black woman. This year’s theme is to celebrate Black achievements in the arts. Maranda is an Art major with a concentration in Printmaking. She’s also a member of the Art Student Union. Read on to find out what she wants sisters to know about Black culture, an empowering moment she has had as a Delta Zeta and more! 

1. What does Black History Month mean to you? 

Black History Month is very important to me. It is a time where you can really focus on your community and really shine a light on Black history and culture. I think it’s a time where Black people can really show others how influential we are. 

2. Is there anything you want your Delta Zeta sisters to know about Black culture? 

When it comes to Black culture I want everyone to know that we are different people with similar shared experiences. All Black people are not the same and never have claimed to be, but we all have shared experiences that vary person to person!

3. How did your Delta Zeta journey begin?

I joined via COB. My roommate freshman year joined Delta Zeta and she would take me to all of their events. I would just go home without a thought about joining. Eventually, she moved into the house and I saw how much fun she was having with the cool events and how she’d make so many new friends. She invited me over and I soon realized I wanted to be her best friend and her sister. They had a COB event that I attended and the rest is history. They were home before I even knew it.

4.  Can you tell us about a pivotal or empowering moment you have had as a member of Delta Zeta? 

I would say an empowering moment for me has been becoming Chapter President. The feeling of having so many people have my back and believe in me has been such a crazy feeling. They believed in me before I even believed in myself. I will always be grateful that they put me in this position.

5. Can you tell us about a member who has made an impact on your life?

This is a hard one because there are so many sisters that have made an impact on my life in so many ways. There’s no way I could choose one. Jaeta Lawson and Hannah Glass, both Ri Rho Chapter sisters,  are my number one supporters when it comes to absolutely everything in my life. Jaeta is the reason I’m a Delta Zeta and Hannah is the reason I stayed to help grow this chapter into something more beautiful than ever imagined.

6. This year’s theme is celebrating people within the field of the arts. Tell us about your art major (how you chose the major, what it consists of, etc.) and what it means to you regarding Black History Month.

I am a Printmaking major. I chose printmaking because of how versatile it is as an art form. There’s so many methods and results that you can get from Printmaking and its’ ability to be reproduced (or not) adds to its’ worth. I just love the effort and work that goes into creating a print — it makes it feel more authentic and real. When it comes to Black History Month, I think Printmaking has a big role because of the power held within reproducing art. Many Black Printmakers spread awareness relating to the Black community. Printmaking helps create those important messages ranging from simple to complex. Art is a wonderful source of knowledge that we share from our community to the world.