Even though February is represented as the month of love, it is also recognized as a month of embracing black history.

Intervarsity Collegiate Black Christians (CBC) wants to honor black history by allowing Pastor Kelly Smith to speak on black presence in the Bible Monday night.

Charlie Edmonds, sophomore music education major, enjoys hearing Smith speak on interesting topics.

"I enjoy the fact that he can always relate to your situation," Edmonds said. "His messages are not only for older people, but he also speaks to students in a certain way."

Smith presides at Mt. Olive Baptist Church and has been the pastor their for 16 years. According to several UT students who attend Mt. Olive Baptist, Pastor Smith always encourages the college students to be successful and shows gratitude toward their hard work and diligence. He is known to be one who welcomes the college students and makes Mt. Olive Baptist a second home for them.

Robyn Chaplin, senior in chemical engineering, is the President of CBC. She said she is very excited about hearing Pastor Smith preach and is seeking to learn a lot.

"Pastor Smith seems to have fun with his messages and is very knowledgeable of black presence in the Bible," she said

Chaplin said she wants African American students to walk away with another interesting way of looking at the Bible.

“I believe this message will show us a lot about our ancestors and students will have a great respect for adversity and how we can relate Biblical characters to the world today,” she said.

Joe Ella Darby is the advisor and mentor of CBC and sees Pastor Smith as someone who is “very personable, funny and engaging.”

Darby attends Mt. Olive Baptist Church and trusts in his ability to speak about the issue of black presence in the Bible. Darby has high hopes for the message to enlighten students’ perspectives of life.

"My hope is that this will affirm their ethnic identity in a deeper way; showing that their story is part of God’s story," Darby said.

The meeting will be held Monday evening at Presidential Grille behind Edy’s ice cream shop at 7 p.m. There is no admission.

For more information contact CBC large group coordinator Staysha Greene by email at staygreene@gmail.com.