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WIU Announces Black History Month Schedule

January 30, 2018

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MACOMB, IL – February will mark Western Illinois University's celebration of Black History Month with this year's theme, "The Doorsteps of Activism."

"As a collective, we want to highlight activism of the past, while shaping the minds of students, alumni, faculty/staff and community members for the future," said Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center Director Michael R. Williams. "We took time to look back over the past 100 years and selected some pivotal moments to dissect routes for activism."

This year's events were planned by students and faculty and staff seeking to display their own meaning of activism. All events are open free to the public, unless otherwise noted. The celebration calendar includes:

• Friday, Feb. 2: Cultural Expressions Open Mic Night, 7 p.m., Multicultural Center.

• Sunday, Feb. 4: Christian Faith Campus Ministries church service, 1 p.m., Wesley Church, 1212 W. Calhoun St., Macomb.

• Monday, Feb. 5: Black History Month Keynote Address by Nikki Giovanni, 5:30 p.m., University Union Grand Ballroom. Giovanni is an American poet, writer, activist and educator who has received hundreds of awards for her writing, activism and performance in the academic world; including seven NAACP awards and four "Woman of the Year" awards from Ebony magazine, the Ladies Home Journal and others.

• Wednesday, Feb. 7: First Wednesday art event, 7 p.m., Garwood Hall.

• Friday, Feb. 9: WIU Assistant Professor of Chemistry Erica McJimpsey will deliver, "Agriculturist, George Washington Carver, A Kingdom Purposed Activist," at 1 p.m. in the University Union Fox Room.

• Tuesday, Feb. 13: Film screening and discussion about "Teach Us All," 7 p.m., Multicultural Center.

• Tuesday, Feb. 20: WIU English Professor Patricia Young will deliver "Stellar African Americans in United States Literature at 3:30 p.m. in the Multicultural Center.

• Tuesday, Feb. 20: WIU History Professor Peter Cole will host a film screening and discussion of, "When We Were Kings," at 7 p.m. in the Multicultural Center.

• Wednesday, Feb. 21: The WIU Women's Center will host a film screening of "Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth," at 7 p.m. in the Multicultural Center.

• Thursday, Feb. 22: Centennial Honors College Associate Director F. Erik Brooks will deliver "Heroes of a Different Hue: Black Athletes, Brave Activists and Peaceful Protests" at 7 p.m. in the Multicultural Center.

• Friday, Feb. 23: WIU's African Student Association will host "Taste of Africa" at 6:30 p.m. in the Multicultural Center.

• Saturday, Feb. 24: The student NAACP chapter will host the annual "Black Excellence Ball" at 7 p.m. in the University Union Lamoine Room.

• Monday, Feb. 26: WIU Liberal Arts and Sciences Associate Professor Boukari Safoura will deliver "Celebrating Black Women's Resilience and Achievement for the Social Good and Sustainability" at 3:30 p.m. in the Multicultural Center.

• Tuesday, Feb. 27: WIU Liberal Arts and Sciences Professor Jo-Ann Morgan will deliver "Picturing Women of the Black Panther Party," at 7 p.m. in the Multicultural Center.

• Wednesday, Feb. 28: The WIU department of Geography, GIS and Meteorology will host "Civil Rights as Geospatial: The African American Freedom Struggle as Counter-Mapping and Radical Place Making," 7 p.m. in Morgan Hall 109.

• Saturday, March 3: Black Student Summit, "Still We'll Rise," 8 a.m., Multicultural Center.

For more information, contact the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center at (309) 298-2220 or email Michael Williams at MR-Williams2@wiu.edu.



Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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