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Georgia Southern University celebrates Black Heritage Month

Georgia Southern University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs is pleased to announce the schedule for the 2018 Black Heritage Month celebration, featuring a series of lectures, panel discussions, performances and more.

Most events will take place on the Statesboro, Armstrong and Liberty campuses and are free and open to the public. Highlighted events include:

Wednesday, Jan. 24, 7 p.m.
Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration featuring speaker Bakari Sellers
Statesboro Campus: Performing Arts Center
*There will be a live simulcast at the Ogeechee Theatre on the Armstrong Campus in Savannah

Celebrated civil rights activist, attorney and political commentator Bakari Sellers will serve as the speaker for this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. In 2006, he became the youngest African-American elected official in the country and went on to win the 2014 Democratic nomination for Lt. Governor in South Carolina. A regular contributor to CNN, Sellers was named to TIME magazine’s “40 Under 40” list in 2010 and ranked in “The Root 100” list of the nation’s most influential African-Americans in 2014.

Tuesday, Jan. 30, 6 p.m.
Film Showing: “Selma”
Armstrong Campus: Ogeechee Theatre

“Selma” chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965 when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement. This film tells the real story of how the revered leader and visionary, along with his brothers and sisters in the movement, prompted change that forever altered history.

Wednesday, Jan. 31, 6:30 p.m.
Political Action Town Hall: Two Teams, One Anthem
Armstrong Campus: University Hall 158

In correlation to Colin Kaepernick’s issues, engage in a panel discussion on how athletic teams are affected by kneeling during the National Anthem.

Tuesday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m.
Hip-Hop Lecture
Armstrong Campus: Fine Arts 206

Facilitated by Assistant Professor of Music Russell Brown, Ph.D., this lecture will dive into understanding the history and influences of urban music in American culture.

Thursday, Feb. 15, 2 p.m.
Poets Respond to Race
Statesboro Campus: Russell Union 2080

Following the string of shootings of unarmed black men, the Charleston 9 and the removal of the confederate flag from the South Carolina State House, poets and authors Al Black and Len Lawson united in an effort to address race in America. Together, they hold poetry readings and open forums on race and diversity to engage audiences in tough conversations that can change communities in the South.

Thursday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m.
Golden Age of Harlem
Armstrong Campus: Student Union – Savannah Ballroom

Join Georgia Southern for a night of music, food and fun as the Black Heritage Month celebration continues with a revival of the “Golden Age of Harlem” and its lasting influence of jazz music and culture.

Tuesday, Feb. 20, 12:15 p.m.
Brown Bag Series Lecture: Post-Racial America
Liberty Campus: Room 108

The United States has had a qualified black man leading the nation as president. This proves that race doesn’t matter and that we live in a post-racial America—or does it? Is the status of a post-racial America a fact or a myth? Join Criminal Justice Professor Maxine Bryant, Ph.D., in a humorous, yet thought-provoking discussion on this controversial phenomena.

Thursday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m.
Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Dinner
Armstrong Campus: Student Union – Savannah Ballroom

The Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Dinner celebrates students, faculty, staff and community leaders who have contributed efforts and resources to advancing the University’s Pan African-American student population.

Tuesday, Feb. 27, 6 p.m.
Step Afrika! Performance
Statesboro Campus: Performing Arts Center

Step Afrika! was founded in 1994 as the first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping and now ranks as one of the top 10 African-American dance companies in the U.S. The company blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African-American fraternities and sororities, African traditional dance and influences from a variety of other dance and art forms, integrating songs, storytelling, humor and audience participation.

For more information on the 2018 Black Heritage Month celebration, please contact the Office of Multicultural Affairs at msc@georgiasouuthern.edu or 912-478-5409.

Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research institution founded in 1906, offers 142 degree programs serving more than 27,000 students through nine colleges on three campuses in Savannah, Statesboro, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast Georgia, the University provides a diverse student population with expert faculty, world-class scholarship and hands-on learning opportunities. Georgia Southern creates lifelong learners who serve as responsible scholars, leaders and stewards in their communities. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.

 

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