Black history celebrations extend beyond February

Michael Eric Dyson

7:30 p.m., Feb. 10, 2004--UD’s Center for Black Culture will host a wide range of events, including lectures, a “hair” party and a performance by the Urban Bush Women and a film screening to help mark “50 Years After Brown: Has There Been Social Transformation?,” as part of “Celebrating Black History—February and Beyond” events. All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated.

Spring semester events sponsored by the Center for Black Culture include:

Black Student Union Community Meeting, featuring a discussion on “A Retrospective Look at UD History: Gearing Up for a New Race,” 7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 16, in 115 Purnell Hall.

Black History Month Extravaganza, featuring Michael Eric Dyson and the Duke Ellington School of the Arts Show Choir in “Where Are We Now: Race, Government and Contemporary Reality,” at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 18, in the Multipurpose Room of the Trabant University Center. Dyson, an ordained Baptist minister, award-winning author and acclaimed scholar, has been hailed as one of the most important voices of his generation and also is known for his ability to combine scholarly investigation with insights on urban black popular culture. Dyson is the author of “The Myth and Meaning of Malcolm,” “I May Not Get There With You: The True Martin Luther King Jr.” and “Holler if You Hear Me Searching for Tupac Shakur.” The Duke Ellington Show Choir program will feature Broadway and Motown classics, as well as spirituals and classical favorites. The event is cosponsored by the Black Student Union and the Black Leadership Council.

“The Gospel in African-American History,” with guest speaker Carl Ellis, president of Project Joseph and author of “Beyond Liberation,” “Malcolm: The Man Behind the X” and “Free At Last?: The Gospel and the African-American Experience,” at 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 19, at 120 Smith Hall. This program is cosponsored by Warriors for Christ, UD’s Gospel Choir and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship.

“Lifting the Veil on the African Diaspora to India,” with Fitzroy Baptiste, at 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 26, in 222 Gore Hall, as part of the Black American Studies spring lecture series and Center for Black Culture Visiting Scholar lecture series. A professor of African and Asian studies at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Baptiste will examine the little-studied African diaspora in India, which predated the better-known trans-Atlantic slave trade to the Americas. He also will discuss the establishment and persistence of an African minority with a recognizable African cultural orientation in Indian society. The event is cosponsored by the Office of Affirmative Action and Multicultural Programs and the College of Arts and Sciences.

Hair Party, a pre-performance dialogue with members of the Urban Bush Women, about black women’s hair, heritage and self-esteem, at 4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 27, in Bayard Sharp Hall. The free public event is cosponsored by the Performing Arts Series and the Office of Women’s Affairs.

Hair After Party, 9:30 p.m.-2 a.m., Friday, Feb. 27, in the Multipurpose Room of the Trabant University Center, is a chance to get hyped about the latest in hair care, from new styles and products to tips on having healthy skin and hair. The event is sponsored by Cultural Programming Advisory Board.

Urban Bush Women perform “Hair Stories” at 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 28, in Mitchell Hall. The group embraces a creative process fusing dance, music and storytelling with spiritual traditions, cultural heritage and the vast history of African-Americans and African people from all over the world. A multimedia work, “Hair Stories” blends choreography, music and text by exploring the concept of nappy hair and its relationship to images of beauty, social position, heritage and self-esteem. Tickets are on sale at the Hartshorn Hall box office at 831-2204, and a limited number of discounted tickets can be purchased beginning Feb. 16 at the Center for Black Culture. Cosponsors include the Performing Arts Series and the Office of Women’s Affairs.

Urban Bush Women

“The Pact: A Story of Inspiration and Triumph,” with Sampson Davis, George Jenkins and Rameck Hunt, at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 3, in the Multipurpose Room of the Trabant University Center. Doors open at 7 p.m. Davis, Jenkins and Hunt will discuss how, as teenage boys more than 15 years ago, they made a pact to stick together and become doctors. Thirteen years later, the men proudly refer to themselves as “the three doctors.” Copies of “The Pact” also will be available for purchase. Tickets, which are available at the UD box office, are required. The event is cosponsored by the CPAB and the Nucleus Program.

Sisters in Cinema will feature a screening of Yvonne Welbon’s documentary, “Sisters in Cinema,” at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 9, in 204 Kirkbride Hall. The first documentary of its kind, the film creates a strong visual history of the contributions of African-American women to the film industry. The event is cosponsored by the Department of Black American Studies, the Minority Discourse Group, the Committee on Cultural Activities and Public Events and the Office of Women’s Affairs.

For more information on CBC-sponsored events, call 831-2991 or visit [www.udel.edu/CBC/].

Related events

“Shadow Boxing: Race and Representation in Visual and Print Media,” with Carol Henderson, UD associate professor of English, from noon-1 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 18, in the Class of 1941 Lecture Room, Morris Library, as part of the Scholar in the Library Lecture Series. For more information, call 831-2231.

“The Image of Blacks in Western Culture: An Historical Perspective,” with Allison Blakely, George and Joyce Wein Professor of African-American Studies and professor of European and comparative history at Boston University, at 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 10, in 104 Gore Hall, as part of the Black American Studies spring 2004 lecture series. A reception will follow. For more information, call 831-2897.

Article by Jerry Rhodes

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