ASU celebrates Black History Month with events from Feb. 2-Feb. 26

Jan. 20, 2010 -- Arkansas State University-Jonesboro will celebrate Black History Month throughout the month of February. This year’s theme is "Rethinking America’s Identity.” Special presentations include a lecture by world-renowned author and poet Nikki Giovanni. Ms. Giovanni’s lecture will take place on Thursday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m., in the Reng Student Services Center/Student Union’s Centennial Ballroom. The Reng Student Services Center/Student Union is located at 101 N. Caraway Road in Jonesboro. Ms. Giovanni’s lecture is free, and the public is invited.



The celebration kicks off with Charles Holt’s Lecture-Concert event, “When Having It All Is Just Not Enough,” in the Reng Student Services Center/Student Union Student Auditorium on Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m. Holt’s performance, like all Lecture-Concert Series events, is free and open to the public. For more details, contact Dr. Gil Fowler (gfowler@astate.edu), associate dean for the Honors College, at (870) 972-2308.

On Thursday, Feb. 4, the fifth annual Soul Food Day will be held from 5:30-8:30 p.m. in the National Guard Armory, 1915 Aggie Road, Jonesboro. NOTE: Due to inclement weather, this event has been rescheduled for Thursday, Feb. 18, at the same time and in the same venue. This event is sponsored by the Strong-Turner Alumni Chapter of the ASU Alumni Association, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, and the Delta Studies Center. This annual potluck dinner is a popular event for the campus community. This year’s program begins at 6 p.m. and will be presented by the Wortham family of Trumann. The Worthams will present “African-American Legacy and Tradition: Growing Our Own Food from Garden to Table.” In case of inclement weather, Soul Food Day will be rescheduled for Thursday, Feb. 18. For more information, contact Peggy R. Wright (pwright@astate.edu) at (870) 972-2325, or see the printable flyer.

On Saturday, Feb. 6, the ASU Museum presents Ghanaian storyteller and drummer Zinse Agginie from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Agginie appears in the museum’s Main Gallery on the second floor of the Dean B. Ellis Library, 322 University Loop West Circle. The event is free and open to the public, thanks to the support of ASU’s Office of Diversity. For more information, contact Lenore Shoults (lshoults@astate.edu), assistant director, ASU Museum, at (870) 972-2074.

On Sunday, Feb. 7, there will be a World Aids Day lecture, sponsored by the National Association of Black Social Workers, in ASU's Student Union auditorium at 6 p.m.

Dr. Gauri Bhattacharya, associate professor in the Department of Social Work, will distinguish “equality” and “equity,” while establishing the importance both of these concepts in social progress in the presentation, "Equity vs. Equality Diversity Dialogue"  on Monday, Feb. 15, at 6 p.m., in the Mockingbird Room of ASU's Student Union. This event had originally been scheduled for Monday, Feb. 8, but was rescheduled due to inclement weather. Dr. Bhattacharya will review historic, social, cultural, economic and political challenges, as well as some of the challenges and actions necessary for addressing them. For more information on both the World Aids Day lecture and Dr. Bhattacharya’s “Equity vs. Equality Diversity Dialogue,” contact ASU’s Department of Social Work at (870) 972-3984.

Comedian Chris Rock’s popular documentary film, “Good Hair,” will be presented with a discussion to follow in the Student Union Mockingbird Room on Wednesday, Feb. 10, at 6 p.m. The program will address issues of African American hair, self-esteem, identity, and more. This event has been rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m., with venue to be announced soon.

On Wednesday, Feb. 17, the “Tunnel of Oppression” event takes place in the Student Union Centennial Ballroom at 7 p.m. The program is designed to create an awareness of different types of oppression and its effects within society and the campus community.

Guest speaker Safisha Hill presents a lecture, “Stepping Back Into Time,” in the Student Union Centennial Ballroom on Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. The Third Annual Fashion Expo takes place in the Student Union Centennial Ballroom on Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. The Black Student Association offers a chance for participants and audience to test their knowledge in the Black History Quiz Bowl, taking place in the Student Union Mockingbird Room on Thursday, Feb. 25, at 6 p.m.

Black History Month 2010 concludes with the “All-Black Affair” Gala at Fowler Center on Friday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. The formal event allows students to come together in a relaxed atmosphere and mingle with faculty and staff while enjoying food and live entertainment.

For more information on Black History Month at Arkansas State University-Jonesboro, contact Kimberley Johnson (krjohns@astate.edu), assistant dean of students, at ASU’s Leadership Center, (870) 972-2055.

--This release was provided by Dr. Nancy Hendricks, director, Alumni Publications
 

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