The Office of Multicultural Affairs, in partnership with student organizations and University partners, invites the campus community to Syracuse University’s month-long Black History Month celebration. The celebration includes a lineup of incredible and thought-provoking speakers, an esports tournament, music, art exhibition and other events. The celebration officially begins on Monday, Feb. 1 at 5 p.m., with the Kickoff Alumni Concert featuring Malcolm-Ali Davis (also known as Malcolm-Ali) and Adrianna Ryles-Kabalan (also known as Ryélle).
“We are excited to host a series of virtual and in-person events throughout Black History Month to celebrate the contributions, history and traditions of the African Diaspora. Our calendar includes activities that highlight the many achievements and significant contributions African Americans have made and continue to make in such areas of education, medicine, art, entertainment, politics, human rights, economics, culture, spiritual, public service, business and armed forces,” says Cedric T. Bolton, coordinator of student engagement in the Office of Multicultural Affairs and chair of the planning committee. “We encourage the campus community to be ‘all in,’ and continue learning and exploring all the events hosted by our cultural centers this year.”
The Black Lounge
Eric Roberson
One of the most highly anticipated events each is year is the music celebration, The Black Lounge, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. via Zoom. This year’s event will feature headliner Eric Roberson, opening performance by J Shai, and music by DJ Maestro. In advance of the Black Lounge, Roberson will facilitate a song writing session on Friday, Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. Registration for these events is available online through the University Events Calendar.
During The Black Lounge event, the Office of Multicultural Affairs will also present the annual Trailblazer Award and Distinguished Alumni Excellence Award. This year’s awardees are Syeisha M. Byrd ’12, director of engagement programs in Hendricks Chapel, and Karen Davis ’83 ’90, assistant dean for inclusive excellence at the College of Engineering and Computer Science, respectively.
Commemorative Lecture
This year’s commemorative speaker is Jamila Lyiscott, Ph.D., a community-engaged scholar, nationally renowned speaker, and the author of “Black Appetite. White Food. Issues of Race, Voice, and Justice Within and Beyond the Classroom.” The commemorative lecture is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. and will be offered to view online in-person and virtually.
About Jamila Lyiscott
Jamila Lyiscott
Jamila Lyiscott currently serves as an assistant professor of social justice education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she is the co-founder and co-director of the Center of Racial Justice and Youth Engaged Research. Jamila is most well known for being featured on TED.com where her video, “3 Ways to Speak English,” has been viewed over 4.5 million times. Lyiscott’s scholarship and activism work together to explore, assert, and defend the value of Black life globally. As a testament to her commitment to educational justice for youth of color, she is the founder and co-director of the Cyphers for Justice (CFJ) program, apprenticing NYC high school youth, incarcerated youth, and educators into research and activism through hip-hop, spoken word, and media literacy.
Additional events throughout the month include:
For the full list of events and details during Black History Month, visit the Office of Multicultural Affairs website or contact Bolton at 315.443.9676. To keep up with events on social media, use #CuseBHM.
