Cornel West, Chuck D among IU campuses’ visitors for Black History Month activities
IU Bloomington will celebrate Black History Month with a diverse calendar of events, including a Monday, Feb. 23, lecture by one of America's most provocative intellectuals, Cornel West. Union Board is presenting West's lecture at 7 p.m. in the IU Auditorium, 1211 E. 7th St. A book signing will follow his lecture in the auditorium lobby.
West, the Class of 1943 University Professor of Religion at Princeton University, is the author of a new book, Hope on a Tightrope: Words and Wisdom (Hay House, 2008). The book offers West's views in the form of a collection of quotations, speech excerpts and letters, along with a spoken word CD. His 2007 CD, Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations, featured collaborations with best-selling artists Prince, Jill Scott and Andre 3000, and was Billboard's #1 Spoken Word album.
Other events on the Bloomington campus will include activities by IU's African American Arts Institute and the Black Knowledge Bowl at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center. Events are free unless otherwise noted.
Along with Union Board, West's lecture is being sponsored by the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center and the IU Department of Religious Studies.
Other observances at IU Bloomington include:
• A Black History Month photo exhibit on display through Feb. 27 in the lobby of the undergraduate offices, Room 240, at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, 1315 E. 10th St.
• The IU African American Arts Institute will present a free concert of traditional and contemporary gospel music at 5 p.m. on Feb. 22, in the Grand Hall of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, 275 N. Jordan Ave. The African American Choral Ensemble's repertoire resonates with the complexities of the black American experience. Three smaller contemporary gospel groups comprised of members from the larger ensemble -- SoulACE, Sojourner and God's Progress -- also will perform.
• The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center will host its annual Black Knowledge Bowl at 6 p.m. on Feb. 24 in its Grand Hall. Teams of undergraduate contestants will be questioned about aspects of African American life, culture and history. The winning team will receive $500; the second place team, $300; and third place team, $200. All participants will receive a certificate for participating. There is no fee to compete. Student teams interested in participating can pick up the registration forms in the center's office in room A226. Forms must be submitted by noon on Feb. 13. A reception will follow in the center's Bridgwaters Lounge. For more information, send an e-mail to nmbcc@indiana.edu.
• A showcase of African American dance and a closing reception for Black History Month will begin at 7 p.m. on Feb. 28 at Willkie Auditorium, 150 N. Rose Ave. The showcase culminates a two-day dance workshop held Feb. 27-28 for the 12th year by IU's African American Arts Institute, African American Dance Company and Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies. While there is a registration fee to participate in the workshop, there is no charge for the dance workshop. For more information about the dance workshop, visit the AAAI web site at https://www.indiana.edu/~aaai/. For more information about the reception, contact Roberta Radovich at rradovic@indiana.edu.
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The campus community at IU Northwest is recognizing Black History Month with a variety of programs this month, including a Wednesday, Feb. 18, visit by Public Enemy rapper Chuck D. and a Monday, Feb. 23, screening of Before They Die, a documentary that chronicles the devastation wreaked on a successful African-American community by a white mob in the 1921 Tulsa race riot. Also, on Wednesday, Feb. 25, the magician Walter King will bring his delightful and historically fascinating presentation on the history of African-American magicians to the IU Northwest Savannah Auditorium.
Sponsored by campus groups Kuumba, the Black Student Union, the Student African-American Brotherhood (SAAB) and the Office of Student Life, the Wednesday, Feb. 18, visit by legendary hip-hop artist Chuck D., (a.k.a. Carlton Douglas Ridenhour) of the seminal group Public Enemy promises to be an engaging event for music fans, political activists, and anyone who is interested in the history and development of socially conscious hip-hop. The musical artist's presentation will also serve as a coat drive for the Gary community; while admission is free, audience members are asked to donate either a coat or a blanket to bring warmth to someone in the community who needs it during this particularly cold and snowy winter.
Ever since the debut of Public Enemy in the 1980s, Chuck D. has been an outspoken political activist and social critic whose interest in supporting and uplifting the African-American community has been apparent both in his music and in his off-stage activities. He is a prominent lecturer and commentator on hip-hop music and culture, and has been featured in a number of film and television documentaries. Chuck D.'s presentation at IU Northwest begins at 6 p.m. in the Savannah Auditorium, located at the south end of the Savannah Center, which sits at the southeast corner of the main campus parking lot at 33rd Avenue and Broadway in Gary. Seating is first-come, first-served.
The Tulsa Race Riot devastated the city's segregated Greenwood community, which had developed a remarkably successful financial district despite the limitations imposed on the African-American community by racism and segregation. This district later came to be referred to as the "Black Wall Street." More than 1,200 homes were destroyed in the event, which reportedly caused a total of nearly $2 million in damage in 1921 dollars. The Red Cross estimated that approximately 300 African-American citizens were killed in the rioting, along with 10 white citizens.
All events are free and open to the public and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
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IPFW will host Still I Rise: Telling the Story of the Impact of African-American Literature on Education, Wednesday, Feb. 18, at noon at the Walb Student Union, Rooms G21-G21A. The event is free and open to the public.
Curtis Crisler, IPFW assistant professor of English; Sheila Cuffy, IPFW visiting lecturer of communications; and E. Scott Smiley, author/poet/education advocate, will discuss the topic. The event is sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs and is part of IPFW's Black History Month celebration. For a complete program of events, go to this site: https://www.ipfw.edu/odma/assets/documents/bhm/poster2009.pdf.
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IUPUI is hosting an African-American Cultural Leadership Luncheon Thursday, Feb. 19, at the Campus Center.The luncheon will address issues facing diverse student organization leaders as well as provide valuable insight on ways to improve as a diverse leader on campus. Any student leader or those with a desire to serve in a leadership capacity are welcome. Log on to lead.iupui.edu to RSVP.
On Thursday, Feb.26, from 6-9 p.m. at Taylor Hall 115, the Black Student Union and the Latino Student Association will discuss stereotypes, myths, truths and commonalities on IUPUI's campus. All are welcome.
For other events, go to this web site: https://life.iupui.edu/ccl/campus-programming/bhm/.
