UF Plans Black History Month Celebration
The University of Findlay’s Black History Month celebration will feature a community discussion, compelling speakers and a soul food dinner.
In keeping with this year’s national theme, “A Century of Black Life, History and Culture,” UF’s Black Student Union, United, Student Government Association and the Office of Intercultural Student Services organized events that will simultaneously focus on unity and variety during the monthly observation’s 100th year anniversary.
“Real Talk at the Buford Center” will be held Feb. 11 at noon. According to Rayshawn Eastman, the University’s new director of intercultural student services who is assisting with event coordination, the talk will be the first in a monthly series of free, community discussions that will focus on different topics. February’s will address “Black History Month: Does it Matter for 2015?” Free pizza will be provided. The Buford Center is located at 1222 Cory St.
Iraq War veteran Rob Smith, author of the memoir “Closets, Combat and Coming Out: Coming of Age as a Gay Man in the ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ Army,” will speak at 7 p.m. Feb. 23 in the Alumni Memorial Union’s Multipurpose Room. More information about Smith can be found online at http://www.robsmithonline.com/ The public event will be free. The union is located on Frazer Street.
On Feb. 25, a soul food dinner featuring greens, macaroni and cheese and pound cake will be served at Henderson Dining Hall on Frazer Street. During the meal, the UF Anointed Worship Gospel Choir will perform at 5:30 p.m., and at 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. students will participate in “spoken word” performance poetry and other poetry readings. Dining hall prices will apply to public visitors.
Also on Feb. 25, Cynthia Selfe, a Humanities Distinguished Professor at The Ohio State University, will give a presentation at 7 p.m. in the Union’s Multipurpose Room on “The Literacy Narratives of Black Columbus” project, an ongoing effort to preserve literacy practices and values of Columbus’ African American citizens.
Other University-centered events, exclusive to students, faculty and staff, will include a trip to the National Underground Railroad and Freedom Center in Cincinnati on Feb. 7, pay-it-forward efforts with Buford Center “random acts of kindness” on Feb. 17, food and fellowship with Black Student Union members at 8 p.m. Feb. 17, and a Black Tie Affair at 8 p.m. Feb. 21 in the Alumni Memorial Union.