Students and faculty of diverse backgrounds filled the seats of the Anderson Center’s Osterhout Concert Theater on Friday evening for the second annual This is ME: Binghamton University’s Multicultural Extravaganza.

The event, which was part of the Intercultural Welcome Kick-Off Series, included a keynote speech given by Kimberly Foster, the founder and editor-in-chief of For Harriet, a blog-turned-digital community for black women that reaches over 2 million people a month.

Foster’s speech focused on the importance of collective action as a way to overcome the struggle facing members of underrepresented minority groups.

“If your dream only includes you,” Foster said, “It’s too small.”

During her speech, Foster touched on her childhood, telling the audience that her “nerdy” interests, like government and politics, later contributed to her success.

For Harriet, founded in 2010, is a digital community that uses storytelling and journalism to explore the complex experiences black women face. Foster started the blog to provide something she felt was missing in the mainstream media — an authentic representation of black women, told in their own voices.

“I want to leave a legacy that the people who love me can be proud of,” Foster said. “Making money isn’t enough, making a name for myself isn’t enough, being on TV and in a magazine isn’t enough.”

Joanna Lojo, a senior majoring in Spanish, attended the event to show support for her sorority, the Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc., but left feeling inspired by Foster’s message of action.

“Our sorority is about Latina female empowerment, so the Multicultural Extravaganza was a great way to showcase all the organizations that are multicultural on campus and what we have to offer,” Lojo said. “[Foster’s speech] was very empowering and very touching. Her story impacted me to make a change on myself and a change on the community.”

Since graduating from Harvard University in 2013, Foster has been recognized multiple times for her work and was included in Forbes’ 2016 “30 Under 30” list.

Foster also discussed recent events, such as the 2016 election, LGBTQ rights and the Black Lives Matter movement. She urged audience members to work together to create more ideal environments, and added that the recent rise in visibility of hate groups, like the white supremacists who marched in Charlottesville, can impact people’s drive for justice.

“I had never imagined I would witness the civil rights struggle that I used to read about,” Foster said. “Struggle does not necessarily mean suffering. By struggle I’m simply talking about a collective commitment to doing a very important, very hard thing. Right now those of us who believe in justice are struggling.”

The event also provided a platform for multicultural student unions, pre-professional organizations, empowerment organizations, fraternities and sororities to come together, introduce themselves and encourage involvement. The presentation included performances from multicultural dance groups such as Quimbamba Latin Dance Team and Black Dance Repertoire.

Joshua Gonzalez, Student Association vice president for multicultural affairs and a senior majoring in geography, said that the purpose of the event was to expose new and returning students to the various multicultural groups and organizations the University has to offer, providing a space of inclusion for marginalized students.

“[The Multicultural Extravaganza] is supposed to give you and everyone a place of belonging,” Gonzalez said. “With everything going on in the country right now … we all have to stand together and help each other out. We all have to stand as a community.”

The Intercultural Welcome Kick-Off Series is a result of a collaboration between 11 different campus-wide organizations. It will conclude Sept. 16 with a Multicultural Family Reunion from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the Peace Quad.