UA News

The UA and its off campus collaborators will begin celebrating Black History Month on Monday with numerous panel discussions, film screenings, workshops, art exhibition and other events.

A host of University of Arizona departments and student organizations, along with off-campus collaborators, are offering a comprehensive list of events to honor Black History Month.

The month's events will celebrate contributions from Africans and African Americans in history – and on campus – as well as the roles they have played in current events.

Among the highlights are the 20-year anniversary of the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center, which houses African American Student Affairs, and a keynote address by civil rights activist Bernard LaFayette Jr., one of the founding members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

"We're building something out of a passion for social justice and a belief in nonviolence," said Carly Thomsen, who advises the Women's Resource Center, which is operated out of the Associated Students of The University of Arizona.

"When you build something out of those values and with those intentions the hope is that a lot of people will stay involved," Thomsen said.

LaFayette's address coincindes with the centennial celebration of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Other events at the UA during Black History Month include:

Feb. 2

A Black History Month kickoff event will be held at noon on the UA Mall. During the event, leaders from student organizations will speak about the work of their respective groups.

Feb. 4

A gallery opening of "Exhibiting Identities – Images from the Growth of African American Student Affairs" will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the Kachina Gallery of the Student Union Memorial Center, 1303 E. University Blvd. The exhibition details the 20-year history of what whas has become African American Student Affairs. The exhibit will be open through March 13.

Feb. 7

The YWCA of Tucson will hold a workshop, "The House We Live In: A Look at Institutional Racism," from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Union. Registration is required. Part of a two-part series, the workshop will address the ways that institutions shape and create race. Priority is given to those who can attend both the Feb. 7 and Feb. 21 workshops. Register by sending an e-mail to leverett@email.arizona.edu.

The Pima County Health Department is holding free HIV testing at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center, 1322 E. First St. The testing will be on a first-come, first-served basis from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event coincides with the National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

An open mic performance featuring Shihan, a spoken word artist, will be held at 7 p.m. at the Cellar Bistro, which is located in the basement of the Student Union. Shihan has performed with the National Poetry Slam Champion for several years, and was twice named a finalist. Shihan has also been featured on HBO's "Def Poetry Jam," Oprah Winfrey's Oxygen Network and in Billboard magazine.

Feb. 10

A panel discussion, "LGBTQA Identities: Being Out and/or Allied," will be held at 5 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center. Panelists will talk about the multiple identities within the black community and also issues relevant to those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning.

Feb. 11

"Words of a Freedom Rider" will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in the Kiva Room, which is in the Student Union. The presentation is about Jim Zwerg, who, in 1961, was a 21-year-old exchange student at Fisk University in Tennessee. While there, he became involved in the Civil Rights Movement.

Feb. 17

"Exhibiting Blackness through Art" will open at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center at 5 p.m. The showcase is a display of artistic expression that details the experiences of Africans and African Americans.

A screening of "Invisible Children" will be held along with a panel discussion at Gallagher Theater, which is located in the Student Union. The event will begin at 7 p.m. The film is about three young filmmakers who traveled to Africa in 2003. The film depicts the tragedy in northern Uganda, which had been at war for more than 20 years. The film focused on the world of child soldiers and night commuters, children and teenagers who walk in search of safety.

Feb. 20

Musicians, poets, singers and songwriters are welcome to perform at an open mic night to be held at the Cellar Bistro, located in the basement of the Student Union, beginning at 7 p.m.

Feb. 21

Geta LeSeur, a UA Africana Studies professor, will lead a field trip and tour of a cotton field in Randolph, Ariz. Participants will leave the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center parking lot at 7:30 a.m. Registration required. For more information, e-mail aasamlk@email.arizona.edu or call 621-3419.

YWCA of Tucson will hold a workshop, "Understanding Racism," from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Park Student Union. Registration is required. This is part of a two-part series. The workshop is a four-hour program that will provide an opportunity for individuals to have an open and meaningful dialogue about race and racism. Priority is given to those who can attend both the Feb. 7 and Feb. 21 workshops. Register by sending an e-mail to leverett@email.arizona.edu.

Feb. 23

The UA Peace Corps Fellows will screen "Death of Two Sons" at 7 p.m. at the Gallagher Theater. The film takes a look at the lives of Jesse Thyne and Amadou Diallo. Thyne was a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea who lived with Diallo's family and died in 2000 in a car crash in Guinea. Diallo was a Guinean immigrant who moved to New York City. In 1999, he was shot by New York City police officers 41 times and killed. The event will feature a discussion with Kadiatou Diallo, Diallo's mother.

Feb. 24

"African Identities: We are Black Too," will be held at 5 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center. The event will feature a panel discussion that will provide a forum for discussing stereotypical descriptions of Africans and African Americans.

Feb. 25

The African American Student Advisory Board will host an open town hall. The event will be held at 6 p.m. in the Kiva Room, which is located in the Student Union. The town hall is open to discussion about issues relevant to the black community and issues of unity on the UA campus.

Feb. 28

A block party hosted by Bringing Legends and Creating Knowledge, or B.L.A.C.K, will be held on the UA Mall from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. The event is open to all.

For a full schedule, visit the UA's Social Justice Leadership Web site.