Black History Month

BLACK HISTORY IS…

Celebrate and Educate

Black History Month celebrates the journey that African Americans have traveled over time. Their path has been filled with struggles and acts of perseverance. We come together this month to honor, celebrate, and educate everyone about the movements and achievements that have transformed society. The James Farmer Multicultural Center, the Black History Month committee, and the Black Student Association (BSA) invite you to reflect on this journey and join us in celebrating all the progress that has been made. We continue to hope that, as a people and a society, we will further strive to achieve a nation where social justice and equal opportunity become a reality for all Americans.

*Cuisines of Black Cultures,  Seacobeck Hall

Cost: one meal-plan meal or $7.75 for lunch, $9.90 for dinner (plus tax)
Feb. 7 – dinner; Feb. 21 – lunch, Select Mondays in February
Campus Dining Services will celebrate Black History Month by featuring
dishes from African, Caribbean, Creole, and Southern soul cuisines.

*My Journey: African-American Stories

Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011
6 p.m., Lee Hall, Room 411
An open-panel discussion of the journey of several African-American
UMW and Fredericksburg community members who will relate
personal experiences in their professions. Refreshments provided.

*Celebration Keynote Performance: Saul Williams

Friday, Feb. 4, 2011
7 p.m., Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall
Experience the lyrical force of Saul Williams’ spoken word art. Williams
is a former Grand Slam Champion and HBO Def Poetry Jam performer
who explores social consciousness through his poetry.

*Eric Etheridge – Breach of Peace: Portraits of
the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders

Monday, Feb. 7, 2011
7 p.m., Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center
Reception to follow.
Etheridge is the author, journalist, and photographer behind Breach
of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders, a “then-and-now”
memoir of individuals who took part in the Freedom Rides of 1961.
Part of the James Farmer Visiting Professor Lecturer Series,
in collaboration with Freedom Riders 50th Anniversary Commemoration.

*“The Negro Zone” Discussion

Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011
6 p.m., Lee Hall, Room 411
Panel members will discuss this short, satirical film that addresses
stereotypes African-American men face in the United States. Refreshments
provided. Co-sponsored by Brothers of a New Direction (BOND) and BSA.

*Comedy Performance featuring Jordan Carlos

Friday, Feb. 11, 2011
8 p.m., Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center
Jordan Carlos is a Brooklyn-based comic raised in suburban North
Dallas where he was the only black kid in class and at all the bar mitzvahs.
He has appeared as Stephen Colbert’s black friend, “Alan,” on the Colbert
Report and performed on Comedy Central’s Live at Goth. Sponsored by
GIANTProductions.

*Step Show

Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011
6:30 p.m. – doors open, 7 p.m. – show begins
Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall
Cost: $7; $5 with UMW ID
Join an array of the most talented area step teams performing in this high
energy, entertaining competition. Co-sponsored by Women of Color, BOND,
and the Fredericksburg Area Boys and Girls Club.

*Candido: Hands of Fire

Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011
6 p.m., Lee Hall, Room 411
Ivan Acosta directed Candido: Hands of Fire, a documentary about a well-known
Afro-Cuban percussionist, Candido Camero. The audience will be
treated to a viewing of this documentary followed by a discussion led by
Mr. Acosta. Co-sponsored by the departments of Modern Foreign Languages
and English.

*HIV/AIDS in the Black Community: A Panel Discussion

Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011
6 p.m., Lee Hall, Room 411
Black Americans have been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and
that disparity continues to grow. Sponsored jointly by BSA, People for the
Rights of Individuals of Sexual Minorities (PRISM), and Fredericksburg’s
Home of Miracles and Embraces (H.O.M.E).

*A Night of Jazz: Performance and Discussion

Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011
8 p.m., The Underground, Lee Hall
Join Doug Gately for a discussion of jazz music in the African-American
community and enjoy a performance by the UMW Faculty Jazz Sextet. Co-sponsored by the UMW Department of Music.

*Gospelfest

Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011
6 p.m., Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center
Enjoy an evening of gospel music and spiritual uplift with choirs, singing
groups, and praise dance teams as they display their musical talents.

*Coming Out? African-American Culture and Sexuality

Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011
6 p.m., Lee Hall, Room 411
A candid discussion about stereotypes surrounding black homophobia and
non-heterosexual lifestyles. Co-sponsored by BSA and PRISM.

*Gay Rights versus Civil Rights

Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011
7 p.m., Lee Hall, Room 411
Involved in the struggle for both GLBT and civil rights equality,
Fredericksburg musician and activist Gaye Adegbalola presents a unique
and personal interpretation. Sponsored by PRISM.