Black History Month at CSU: an agenda of events, all semester long – The Cauldron
Black History Month is nationally observed every February to not only honor prominent figures and movements in Black history but also to promote authentic, comprehensive education of Black history.
This year, Cleveland State University’s agenda of celebration is vast, extending into March and throughout the remainder of the semester, encompassing university-hosted programming and events by student organizations.
Below is an itinerary with which to get started.
All-Month Long: Protest to Progress: 60 Years of Cleveland State and Civil Rights
CSU introduces “Protest to Progress: 60 Years of Cleveland State and Civil Rights,” an on-campus exhibit that honors significant local history in the American civil rights movement, featuring a display of photos and historical facts. Located in the first-floor atrium of Berkman Hall, the exhibit opened for public view on Feb. 1 and will remain open for the rest of the month.
Tuesday, Feb. 6
The Black History Mannequin Challenge, hosted by the Mareyjoyce Green Women’s Center and Military Student Success Center, will take place from 11:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. in Berkman Hall (BH) room 137. For more information on this event, reach out to the Women’s Center at [email protected].
Several student organizations are also holding programs of their own!
From 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. in BH 135, the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (M.A.P.S.) will be hosting an event titled, “Black History Month – Breakthrough in Medicine.” According to VikesConnect, this event will be a discussion “on the intersection of medical history and the groundbreaking contributions of minority figures in medicine.”
“Vintage to Modern: The Black History Hair Experience,” is a celebration of Black hair hosted by The Society of Intersectional Feminists (CSUSIF) that seeks to highlight “the depth behind black hair and the experience that comes with it.” Set to take place from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Urban Building Atrium, the agenda for the event includes a hair fashion show, a discussion and Q&A panel featuring Black hair stylists, three hair demos, a free Black-owned farmer’s market and soul food provided by CSUSIF officers, with plant-based options available.
Thursday, Feb. 15
Fast forward to the following week, the Department of Africana Studies, in partnership with the Office of Career Development and Exploration, is hosting an Umoja Roundtable panel discussion with medical professionals from 11:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. in the Howard A. Mims African American Cultural Center, 1899 East 22nd Street.
Ancestra: Feb. 22 through March 3
The highly anticipated “Ancestra,” an original production written by Chris Szajbert and Holly Holsinger, the chair of CSU’s theatre department, is almost here. Inspired by the National Women’s Rights Convention of 1853, this production “weaves a historical account of the pioneers for women’s rights with the intimate biography of a contemporary journalism student who writes about reproductive healthcare.”
“Ancestra” follows a protagonist named Cora, who finds herself in a crisis, “through which past and present begin to converge, illuminating a long history of silencing women through intimidation and violence.”
With 7:30 p.m. showings set to take place every day from Thursday, Feb 22 through Sunday, March 3, featuring a 2 p.m. Sunday Matinee, “Ancestra” will be open to the public during the latter half of Black History Month in the Outcalt Theatre at Playhouse Square. Free tickets are available for Africana Studies students, faculty and staff at CSU.
The Feb. 29 showing features American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters, with an available discount.
For more information on “Ancestra,” including ticket costs, discount codes and more, visit here or contact LaDonna Simmons, administrative secretary for the Department of Africana Studies.
Project 400: Feb. 23 through Feb. 24
Marking the fifth annual Project 400 Conference at CSU, “Project 400, Setting the Record Straight: Don’t Believe the Hype — Hip Hop @ 50” is both a virtual and in-person event that seeks to “examine the contributions, contradictions, and complexities of Hip Hop at its 50th anniversary as it coalesces with the structural and institutional burdens of misinformation and distortions in America’s present-day social and political discourse.”
Beginning in 2019, Project 400 is “a year-long observation of when the first Africans were brought to the British Colonies in North America in 1619” that seeks to explore contemporary challenges faced by African Americans, including those that have been overcome and those that remain.
This year’s conference, hosted by the Diversity Institute and member organizations of the Project 400 Collaborative, will take place from 9: 30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23 and Saturday, Feb. 24 in the Student Center Ballroom. Register to attend here.
February’s Final Programming
On Friday, Feb. 23, the Campus Activities Board (CAB), in collaboration with the Filmmakers Club, will present the African American Student Showcase from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the BH Auditorium, featuring short films directed, written and/or produced by African American aspiring film students.
Any students interested in taking a jab at Black history trivia can attend “Black History Month Cookies and Kahoots,” hosted by the Center for Campus Engagement from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Student Center (SC) 313/315 on Tuesday, Feb. 27.
Later in the week, the Department of Residence Life and Housing is collaborating with the Africana Studies Department to host “Black History Month Team Legend: The Voice Competition with a Tribute to Black Poets,” in BH 137 from 11:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 29.
Black History Month, All-Year Round: March
Surely enough, CSU does not intend to halt Black history celebration when the clock strikes midnight on March 1.
On Saturday, March 2, the Department of Africana Studies is hosting the first installment of a Hip Hop Workshop sponsored by Black-on-Black Crime, Inc., an organization that seeks to spread awareness on crime and violence in Greater Cleveland, all while providing resources to youth. This workshop, free and open to the public, will take place from 1:55 to 6 p.m. in BH 136.
“Honoring Black Women’s Contribution to the 1963 March on Washington,” hosted in partnership with the Mareyjoyce Green Women’s Center and the Veteran and Military Student Success Center, will feature remarks by Adrienne Gosselin, associate professor of English and Africana Studies, and take place from 11:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. in the SC Atrium on Tuesday, March 5.
Facilitated by Mary McDonald, director of the CSU Writing Center, the Ujima Writing Workshop will take place during the common hour from 11:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. in BH 136.
To close out March, the Department of Africana Studies will host a Sankofa Screening of “Hidden Figures,” a 2016 biographical drama movie about the three women who played a pivotal role in NASA’s launch of John Glenn into space in the 1960s. The screening, set to take place from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in BH 316 on Thursday, March 28, will be followed by a discussion with the National Association for Black Engineers.
BHM, All-Year Round: April
April kicks off its Black history celebration with a second installment of the Africana Studies Department’s Hip Hop Workshop on Saturday, April 6, set for the same time and place of 1:55 to 6 p.m. in BH 136.
On Thursday, April 11, Africana Studies is offering an educational field trip to the Cozad-Bates House, one of Ohio’s Underground Railroad sites, from 3 to 6 p.m., set to depart from BH 137. This trip is open to all.
The Howard A. Mims African American Cultural Center will host Unity Day on Thursday, April 18 from 11:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. in BH 137, featuring games and activities.
Another field trip to close out the month, those interested can visit the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, as well as the Motown Museum|History of Hitsville, USA, on either Friday, April 26 or Saturday, April 27, departing from BH 137. For more information on timing, keep up here.
BHM, All-Year Round: May
In celebration of Kujichagulia, an African-American holiday known as “the second principle of Kwanzaa,” the Howard A. Mims African American Culture Center is hosting a Kujichagulia Study Session from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in BH 137 on Thursday, May 2.
To conclude a semester of celebration, the final installment of the Hip Hop Workshop will take place on Saturday, May 4 from 1:55 to 6 p.m. in BH 136.
Students can stay up to date with CSU’s celebration of Black History Month here, on VikesConnect or by contacting the Department of Africana Studies.