The Center for Black Culture and Research at West Virginia University will host Black History Month events throughout campus during February.

Every year, the U.S. takes a month to pause and reflect on the progress and accomplishments African Americans have made to the world. Originally observed for only a week, Black History Month went through all of February in 1976, and has been recognized each year since.

This year, the Center for Black Culture and Research is celebrating 25 years of black culture, not only for Black History Month, but throughout the year.

Their goal, according to Marjorie Fuller, director of the Center, is to “instill in young people a sense of pride about where they come from and all that was accomplished by those who came before.”

The Center has teamed up with various organizations throughout WVU to compile this year’s events, including the David C. Hardesty Jr. Festival of Ideas, the Black Student Union and the WVU Collegiate Chapter of the NAACP.

The celebration will continue all month, with lectures, history lessons, poetry, movies and more.

“We want to make sure we continue to respect and recognize our history, because we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us,” Fuller said.

The festivities include:

  • HeartBEAT Afrika: An energetic, traditional African drum and dance presentation. This event is being rescheduled due to weather.
  • Feb. 5—Angela Davis, 7 p.m. Mountainlair Ballrooms: Co-sponsored by the David C. Hardesty Jr. Festival of Ideas and the Center for Black Culture and Research, Davis will speak about her political activism and role in the American Civil Rights Movement.
  • Feb. 13—Panel Discussion on Racial Profiling, 7 p.m. Mountaineer Room: Several WVU students and faculty members will be featured in a discussion on racial prejudice in today’s world.
  • Feb. 20—Hopera, 7 p.m. Mountainlair Ballrooms: A unique musical theater blend of hip-hop and opera, Adrian Dunn’s Hopera will be performed.
  • Feb. 24—Growing Up X: A Pilgrimage to Freedom, Equality, and Peace, 6 p.m. Mountainlair Ballrooms: Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X, will be speaking about her father’s work, as well as her own experiences as an African-American Muslim woman.

For more information on Black History Month, and to see a complete list of events, visit the Center for Black Culture and Research’s website at http://www.cbc.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

ml1/29/14

CONTACT: Marjorie Fuller, Center for Black Culture and Research
304-293-7029, Marjorie.fuller@mail.wvu.edu

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