As February begins, the campus community is invited to celebrate Black History Month through a series of programs, events and discussions. With efforts led by the Black History Month Planning Committee and coordination by Multicultural Affairs, the monthlong celebration will highlight Black history, culture and rich traditions in alignment with this year’s theme of “Black Resistance: Building Bridges and Navigating Barriers.”
“Our theme for this year acknowledges the power of history to provide an understanding of the past that can help transform our present. For that purpose, we have compiled a range of programs throughout the month that focus on identify resistance based on individual and collective lived experiences,” says Marissa Willingham, manager of the Intercultural Collective and co-chair of the Black History Month Planning Committee.
The monthlong celebration will kick off on Tuesday, Jan. 31, from 7 to 9 p.m. in Goldstein Auditorium at Schine Student Center. Student groups and performers will be a part of the kickoff celebration, as well as comedian and actor Karlous Miller, most known for being a veteran cast member on MTV’s Wild ’N Out, who will host.
This year’s commemorative speaker is George Johnson, a journalist, LGBTQIA+ activist and award-winning Black, non-binary writer, author, and executive producer. They are the author of the New York Times bestseller, “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” which consists of a series of essays following Johnson’s journey growing up as a young Black queer boy in New Jersey. The event takes place Thursday, Feb. 2, 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Schine Student Center, 304ABC.
Additional featured speakers include Paul M. Buckley during the Men of Color Induction Ceremony on Friday, Feb. 10, and Simone Adams, Charmain Jackman and Douglas McNeil Reed as part of a panel discussion on Feb. 28, to increase accessibility and awareness of mental health in Black communities.
Additional events this month include:
Working with campus partners, student organizations, staff and faculty, a full list of events and additional details are available on the Black History Month calendar.
For questions, contact Multicultural Affairs at oma@syr.edu or 315.443.0228.
Story by Tessa Hodinger G’23, graduate assistant in Student Experience Communications
