Decades after America recognized its first Negro History Week in February 1926, the Ball State community continues to honor the legacy of black Americans this February through a series of Black History Month events.
The month-long observation will allow students and local residents to celebrate the heritage of a people who have made significant contributions to American society, said Lory King, advisor of Ball State's Today's Black Women.
"It will benefit the community by teaching everyone (about) the intelligence, influence and the courage of African Americans," King said. "Many times, African American history is overlooked in our history books, so Black History Month is the only time in the year that our people are embraced outside of our culture."-á-á
This February, Ball State's Black Student Association and the Multicultural Center will collaborate with other campus organizations to sponsor several Black History Month events each week.
To kickoff the month-long celebration, the Multicultural Center will be showing the film "Rosewood" at 7 p.m. on Monday in the Student Center's Cardinal Hall B. The movie is based on the true story of the destruction of a predominately black Florida town.
Events throughout the rest of the month will range from keynote speakers, who will reflect on key events in black history, to student-led black history classes that will address important issues in the multicultural community.
Terry Frazier, assistant director of organizations and activities, said the BSA-sponsored Black History 101 classes will allow students to engage in open discussions on a variety of topics and will educate them on matters they are not always exposed to in the classroom.
"The (classes) are important because they will give people the chance to discuss issues not necessarily discussed in the mainstream curriculum," Frazier said.
On Feb. 4 the class will focus on the issues black and Hispanic students face on campus as they pursue their college education at a predominately white university.
In addition to attending the black history classes, students will also enjoy hearing the speakers who have been invited to Ball State in late February, King said.
A key speaker will be Frederick Douglass IV, great-great grandson of the legendary abolitionist and orator. Douglass will render speeches and re-enact key episodes of his ancestor's life on Feb. 18, she said.
Among other Black History Month events will be a Feb. 26 presentation by Step Afrika, a Washington D.C.-based percussive dance ensemble.
Frazier said he is looking forward to all of February's events and encourages both the Ball State and Muncie communities to attend.
"It will give everyone knowledge on a different culture," he said. "I think we have a lot of variety this year for Black History Month, and we're really excited about it."
Derick Virgil, director of the Multicultural Center, said Ball State began to celebrate Black History Month in the 1970s and has for decades observed the month in a distinct and special way.
While the university and the nation as a whole is doing a good job in honoring Black History Month each year, black history still needs to be celebrated year-round, Virgil said.
"It will never be appropriate to water down this historical observance to just a multicultural month," Virgil said. "It will, for a long time to come, be necessary to remember what happened to black Americans and how they still survived and succeeded in spite of it all. This observance is important to healing the psyche of the present-day African American mind and the country's collective mind as well."V-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬-¦-¿-¬--¦B+++â-â?black history monthDNEditorial--¦B++?black history monthDNEditorial--¦B?-¿?black history monthDNEditorial--¦B?+â-+?black history monthDNEditorialVR4P+*VAUDT
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