Members of the Marshall University community can attend or participate in Black United Students’ open mic event Black Koffee Friday.

Black Koffee takes place at 8 p.m. in room BE16 of the Memorial Student Center and is open to everyone free of charge.

The open mic event features a jazz atmosphere and performers usually sing or recite poems that can be original or unoriginal. There will be a live band and free refreshments.

Junior social work major Myshea’ Bailey organized the event along with BUS and said she is excited to have a creative event on campus.

Bailey said she is excited by the event because she feels that it adds diversity and creativity to campus.

“We need more creative events on campus,” Bailey said.

Bailey said she is always most excited by people raving to her about the event afterwards.

Bailey urges people of different age groups, races and genders to come enjoy the event and said she hopes to see a more diverse group of people than previous occasions.

Bailey said she went to Black Koffee when she first got to Marshall and loved it.

Bailey cited one of her favorite movies “Love Jones,” as inspiration for her to become involved with the event.

Bailey asked Derek Robinson, who previously ran Black Koffee, about what she could do to get involved.

Robinson said that Black Koffee was started by Kappa Alpha Psi in 2012 and was given to BUS after the spring of 2015. Robinson said the event was started to give students an outlet to express themselves.

Bailey said she has tried to be consistent with how Black Koffee had been run in the past.

So far, Bailey said about 10 people have signed up to perform but there is a chance for more. A section of the show is dedicated to allow anyone in the audience to perform without having to sign up.

Black Koffee takes place every fall and spring semester.

Sage Shavers can be contacted at [email protected].