It’s Black History Month!
We are delighted to honor the heritage, resilience, contributions, and scholarship of Black people during Black History Month, taking place throughout the month of February. This month is designated to inspire us to pause and reflect on how communities of color are constantly striving to build an inclusive community based on mutual understanding and respect. Notably, the achievements of the African Diaspora remind us of the global nature of humanity and the vast diversity of Black communities and populations.
In 1926, Historian Carter G. Woodson created ‘Negro History Week’ to acknowledge the myriad of Black peoples’ contributions to our country’s history and culture. In 1970, students and educators at Kent State University expanded the recognition for a month which spread to college campuses nationwide. Subsequently, Black History Month was first nationally recognized by President Gerald Ford in 1976 during the celebration of the United States Bicentennial.
Brandeis was founded on the premise of inclusion and justice, and the University contributes an important piece in our nation’s history of the Civil Rights Movement. The Brandeis University Archives holds a number of collections related to African and African American Studies that document Black experiences, including an online exhibit entitled Remembering Ford & Sydeman Halls, a collection of African-American Portraits by Carl Van Vechten, and a number of rare editions of works by such authors as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Wallace Thurman.
We invite you to explore these materials in the University Archives and Special Collections which are open 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Monday – Friday.
Everyone is welcome to attend the following campus programs that elevate Black student voices celebrating their communities:
Talk About It at SCC Theater
Wednesday, February 25th
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Gala
Friday, February 28th
Sherman Function Hall
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Black Out Party
Thursday, February 27th
ICC Swig Lounge
10:00 pm – 1:00 am
Showcase
Saturday, March 1st
Levin Ballroom
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Gender and Sexuality Center
Documentary Screening of BLACK:
Narratives in Boston’s Black Queer & Trans History
In collaboration with the Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation
Monday, Feb 23rd at the SCC Theater
5:30 pm to 8:30 pm