February is Black History Month, and West Virginia University is marking the occasion with a tribute to Coretta Scott King, showcases of the arts and stories of spirit, pride and determination.

Also known as Africana History Month, the month celebrates all things African-American, from history to culture and activism.

Africana History Month is really about family,said Todd McFadden, assistant director of WVU ’s Center for Black Culture and Research.That what WVU is. We’re family. We’re vibrant, and we’re diverse, and we can learn from each other.

The roots of the month, McFadden said, run deeper in the Mountain State than more people might realize. It was founded in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the black educator, activist and son of slaves who dug his way from the West Virginia coal mines to the Ivy League, where he earned a doctorate from Harvard.

The month’s events include:

  • Feb. 4, Coretta Scott King memorial, 4:30 p.m., Greater St. Paul AME Church, 61 Beechurst Ave. , Morgantown
  • Feb 6, African-American Read-In, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., Stansbury Hall Library, 3 rd floor;The Black Light Lounge(talent show, live music, poetry slam), 7 p.m., Mountainlair Gold Ballroom
  • Feb. 8, performance,No Boundaries: Dancing to the Vision of Contemporary Black Choreographers, 7:30 p.m., Creative Arts Center (tickets, 293-SHOW)
  • Feb. 10, film,Ethnic Notions,7 p.m., Mountainlair Monongahela Room
  • Feb. 13, film,Chisolm’72: Unbought and Unbossed,7:30 p.m., G-21 White Hall
  • Feb. 18, gathering, 4 th annual Jerry P. Wilkins Memorial Banquet, 8 p.m. (social hour, 7 p.m.) Erickson Alumni Center (tickets, 302-598-5901)
  • Feb. 20, film,Different But Equal,7 p.m., Mountainlair Rhododendron Room
  • Feb. 22, film,The Drop Squad,7 p.m., Mountainlair Monongahela Room
  • Feb. 23, performance,Free Jujube Brown!7:30 p.m., CAC (tickets, 293-SHOW)
  • Feb. 24, gathering, High School Minority Law Day (all day), WVU College of Law; film,Caravans of Gold,7 p.m., Mountainlair Monongahela Room
  • Feb. 27, film,RACE: The Power of an Illusion, the Difference Between Us,5-7 p.m., Room 21, White Hall
  • Feb. 28, performance,Emergence-See,7:30 p.m., CAC (tickets, 293-SHOW)

For more information on the month’s schedule and other Africana events this semester, contact the center online athttp://www.wvu.edu/~cbcror call 304-293-7029.