To create a space for black voices to be heard artistically and start a meaningful dialogue about black identity in the theatre, Indiana University Bloomington's Department of Theatre and Drama will host the university's first-ever conference (Aug. 1-3) devoted solely to black theatre projects. The 2008 IU Mini-Conference on Black Theatre seeks to stimulate scholarship and discussion about theatre by and for people of African descent, said conference organizer Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the president of Liberia and the first woman elected as president of any African country, will meet with reporters at 3:30 p.m. at IU's Lilly Library, 1200 E. Seventh St., where she later will speak to about 100 invited guests and the media. Only working media who can provide identification verifying them with a recognized news organization will be permitted to attend.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first woman elected as president of Liberia and any African country, will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Indiana University on Saturday (May 3 ), in recognition of her efforts to promote peace, justice and democracy, and of the close relations between her country and IU.

John Prendergast, an American human rights activist currently focusing his activities on genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, violence against women in Congo and atrocities in Chad and northern Uganda, will speak at Indiana University at noon on Tuesday (Feb. 19).

Join the IU Bloomington and IU East campuses in celebrating Black History Month and meet the 2006 Teacher of the Year in this edition of Lecture Notes.

This issue of Lecture Notes features speakers on the Bloomington campus discussing a variety of topics, including sexual risk taking, the foundations of physics and the beauty of Roman women.

The first democratic elections in 45 years may have been scheduled in the African nation of Congo, but an Indiana University scholar doubts that they will succeed and help end the decades of violent strife there.

A lecture by acclaimed actor James Earl Jones, a day-long Africana festival and a lecture on Americans' views about race and racism will highlight the celebration of Black History Month at IU Bloomington. Nearly all events are free and open to the public.

Maulana Karenga, founder of Kwanzaa, an African American and Pan-African holiday celebrated in African communities worldwide, will be the featured speaker at Indiana University Bloomington's Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration on Dec.1.

Seven faculty from four IU campuses have received awards from various Fulbright programs, a major source of federal funding, for the 2005-06 academic year.

A day-long Africana festival, presentations by activist Afeni Shakur and author/actress Jasmine Guy, and a performance by the Soweto Gospel Choir will highlight an active celebration of Black History Month at Indiana University Bloomington. The month's activities kick off tonight (Feb. 3) with the Third Annual Sound the Drum and Family Fest.

The IU African American Arts Institute will present the African American Dance Company's annual Studio Concert on Tuesday (Dec. 7), 7:30 p.m., in Willkie Auditorium, located on the IU Bloomington campus. The fall concert, a tradition since the early 1980s, is a dynamic and innovative showcase of collaborative "works in progress."

Indiana University Bloomington will have a major presence in the international exchange of ideas this academic year. Four professors and 13 students from the campus were awarded Fulbright grants for 2004-05, the university announced today (Oct. 26).

IU will host one of Africa's most dynamic young choral ensembles, the University of Namibia Choir. Currently on its first tour of the United States, under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of State, the UNAM Choir will spend three days in Indiana. They will perform, give workshops and interviews, and meet with fellow musicians and students on IU's Bloomington and East campuses.