The UM Black History Month Kick-Off Celebration launches the university’s month-long program Tuesday at noon in the Student Union Lobby. The keynote speaker for the kick-off celebration is RoSusan D. Bartee, UM professor and program coordinator of K-12 educational leadership.
The university’s Black History Month calendar continues with various film screenings, discussion panels, music performances and other events intended to educate and stimulate discussion between all students, according to Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement director Shawnboda Mead.
The Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement, Student Housing, the Black Student Union and various other campus organizations are hosting the events. A complete calendar of the events, along with their hosts and sponsors, is available on the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement website.
Student Housing Area Coordinator Danielle Sims emphasized her goal of inclusion while planning Black History Month programs as part of the Committee for Diversity, Social Justice and Inclusion within student housing.
“Our goal is not to make students feel like Black History Month is just for our black and minority students. It’s for everyone,” Sims said.
Events hosted by Student Housing include a brown bag lecture from UM faculty on their experiences at historically black colleges and universities and a trivia game testing knowledge on black history and culture.
Black Student Union president and senior public policy leadership major Briana O’Neil indicated a similarly inclusive theme in the BSU’s program.
“We selected a variety of events that would appeal to a wide audience,” O’Neil said. “Whether playing a Black History Jeopardy game or having an open dialogue about black history, there is an event for everyone.”
While all events are open to the public, some require attendees to register or purchase tickets ahead of time.
The Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement is also hosting a cross-cultural excursion to Memphis, Tennessee, on Saturday. The trip includes a viewing of the film “Selma” and a visit to the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel. Students can register for the excursion on the center’s website. Registration is first come, first served and closes at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Approximately 35 spots are available.
Courtney Pearson, graduate assistant at the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement and second-year graduate student in the higher education and student personnel program, expressed excitement for the excursion.
“I grew up in Memphis and have been to the museum several times, and the new renovations make for an incredibly powerful experience,” Pearson said.
The National Civil Rights Museum reopened in April 2014 after a 16-month, $28 million renovation.
“In addition, there is a section about the integration at The University of Mississippi that I believe is really important for our students to see,” Pearson said. “This is a great opportunity for students, and we are hopeful that many sign up.”
Pearson served as the co-chair of the Black History Month Planning Committee. The committee represented 20 campus organizations, including Ole Miss Athletics and the Office of the Chancellor/Multicultural Affairs.
The Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement is also hosting The University of Mississippi Black History Month Keynote at the Inn at Ole Miss Ballroom Feb. 19. The event features a lecture from best-selling author and religious and cultural studies scholar Michael Eric Dyson. Dyson has taught at several educational institutions, including Brown University, the University of North Carolina and Columbia University.
Seating for the keynote lecture is on a first-come, first-served basis with approximately 500 seats available.
Mead explained why she was excited when the Black History Month Planning Committee suggested Dyson as a keynote speaker.
“I, personally, have heard him speak before,” Mead said. “I still distinctly remember his approach, his words and how inspiring they were.”
Aside from their direct involvement in hosting 10 of the 26 events on the university’s calendar, the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement coordinated the university-wide calendar. This coordination has included soliciting offices and organizations to host and sponsor events and gathering information on existing events since October.
Since opening its doors in Fall 2014, the center has hosted several heritage months at Ole Miss, including Hispanic Heritage Month, Native American Heritage Month and LGBTQ Heritage Month.
“We had a lot of good partnerships for the other celebrations, but we’ve had a bit longer to prepare for this month,” Mead said.
Mead expressed that making connections with other offices on campus was a great help in creating the comprehensive Black History Month calendar.
“We definitely have more happening this month and more university departments and organizations that wanted to contribute to the calendar gave us a more comprehensive list of events and a really good variety,” Mead said.
The University’s Black History Month calendar ends with the Black Alumni Reunion, which takes place March 5-7.
