Black Men Emerging celebrate ladies, love

The men of Black Men Emerging expressed love with flowers andmuch more Monday night. 

A single red rose was given to every woman, young and old, asthey entered the ballroom that was transformed into a den where thefourth annual Phenomenal Love program was presented.

The den, consisting of couches, a live band and dimmed lights,and was set up to represent “a place to express true feelingsabout each other, love, hate and interpretations of love,”first-year Mathew Shaw said.

Phenomenal Love is a program designed for “black men topay tribute to the women in their lives,” Meron Negashsaid. 

Four years ago, Phenomenal Love was started under the directionof Bernard Bennett, Michael Turner, Chibuke Okoro, Neil Smith andDeWitt Dawkins because they wanted to appreciate women.

“This is the first year that it has been run without allof the founding members,” Negash said.

The event was advertised mainly through word of mouth and aradio ad on K104FM. Women from SMU and other campuses attended.

“Girls from SMU talk to people from other campuses, theywant to know why their men aren’t doing the same thing forthem, so they want to come and be a part of it,” ByronForsythe, a member of BME, said. “There were about 50 womenthe first year, now we are expecting more then 100.”

Despite the predominantly black female crowd, BME wanted tostress that the evening was to recognize women in general.

The evening began with a few musical numbers by the BME band andcontinued with poetry, songs and a step performance, among otherthings.

“We want to show women that we appreciate them and displaylove in its true essence,” Forsythe said. 

Phenomenal Love covered many aspects about what love is toBME.

“There are five basic interpretations of love; spiritual,fearful, painful, superficial and personal,” Forsythesaid. BME addressed all of these interpretations throughoutthe presentation.

The audience was given a chance to share its feelings on lovewith the newly added “Truth 101” section of theprogram, where the microphone was turned over to the audience.

Three women were recognized for outstanding achievement —Alice Touchstone for her 12 years of work at the South Quad maindesk, Lillian Lovelady who has worked in resident services since1961 and Jennifer Jones, the coordinator of African Americanstudents.

 “It is said that behind every good man there is agood woman. Whoever said that was misinformed, sometimes she is infront,” the members of BME said about Jones.

Black Men Emerging is a program designed to promote brotherhood,positive image and success within the African American malepopulation at SMU. Phenomenal Love in the main event for BME, andthey have been preparing for it all year.

“We are an organization of brothers who come together togive time and support to one another,” Melvin Brown said. “Weare all equal.”