By Jackie Todd, Office of University Relations
Faculty, staff and students will be able to be a part of something long lasting and get something meaningful in return. As Clemson continues its Black History Month celebration, the 2017 Black History Month Planning Committee, in partnership with the Gantt Multicultural Center and the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences will host its Plant a Seed event, 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28 at the Life Sciences Facility atrium.
Participants don’t have to bring supplies. The Department of Plant and Environmental Science will provide materials needed for this event, under the direction of environmental landscape specialist and horticulture professor Ellen Vincent, and Clemson Greenhouse Complex staff member Taylor Martin.
The seeds chosen for the event will bloom into an African Daisy, Osteospermum. Organizers chose this resilient white, purple and crème flower, because they say the colors are symbolic to the narrative of African Americans as they represent struggle, bravery and new beginnings. Participants will be able to take their plants in pots provided at the event. The plants will come with instructions for proper care.
La’Portia Perkins, a junior wildlife and fisheries biology major and 2017 Black History Month programming sub-committee chair believes that personal development should take place during and well after Black History Month. She hopes that the event will combine the goal of positive outcomes with personal growth.
“I want faculty, staff and students to come away from this one event and have a new perspective on what it means to see personal growth,” she said. “Plants do not just pop out of the ground and give us fresh air. They have to work hard and obtain proper nutrients in order to provide us the great planet we live on today. The same goes for us on Clemson’s campus. Positive outcomes can only come from us watering our hopes, dreams and/or goals for the future. This event is important to understanding the potential for growth in many facets of our active world.”
