African-American History Month Program at UA Promotes Community Ties

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama Crossroads Community Center invites the campus and community to participate in a variety of events throughout February during African-American History Month.

This year’s campus celebration promotes exploration of the ties between community experiences and scholarly pursuits. It will include programs designed to offer students and professors the opportunity to connect their coursework with the personal experiences of those who have lived history.

“There will be 34 different programs, exhibits, discussions and events that will enhance our understanding of one another and give us a deeper appreciation of the contributions of scholarship to the quality of life in our communities,” said Dr. Beverly Hawk, Crossroads director.

As part of the program, there will be a UA School of Social Work event on Friday, Feb. 10, to honor the late Dr. Ethel H. Hall, alumna and distinguished educator, with a guest lecture by Dr. Larry Davis, dean and Donald M. Henderson professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work. Other highlights include a free workshop and performance by renowned storyteller Valerie Tutson on Monday, Feb. 20.

African-American History Month events at UA include:

Throughout the month – Alabama African-American History Quiz, Gorgas Library front desk, sponsored by University Libraries; African-American historical items from the A.S. Williams Americana Collection on display 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. daily, second floor lobby and 301 Gorgas Library, sponsored by University Libraries; “Sounds Like Alabama: Alabama’s Contributions to American Popular Music from the Hoole Library’s Collections,” featuring Alabama artists W.C. Handy, Sun Ra, Dinah Washington, Lionel Hampton and Lionel Richie, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Mary Harmon Bryant Hall second floor, sponsored by University Libraries;  African-American Women Who Dared poster campaign on campus, sponsored by Women’s Resource Center and Student Leadership Council.

Every Friday morning – Children’s activities, storytelling, motivational speakers, classroom activities and more, Brewer-Porch Children’s Center.

Wednesday, Feb. 1, First Wednesdays at Crossroads, Global Café, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Crossroads Lounge, 232 Ferguson Center; “¿Cómo Empacas Tantos Años de Vida? (How Do You Pack Up So Many Years of Life?),” Gwen Ferretti, University of Texas at Austin, brown bag lunch, noon-1 p.m., 115 Woods Hall, sponsored by department of gender and race studies and Women’s Resource Center.

Thursday, Feb. 2, RealTalk, 5:30 p.m., Crossroads Lounge, sponsored by Sustained Dialogue, Sigma Lambda Gamma, Honors College Assembly and Crossroads.

Monday, Feb. 6, State of the Black Union, 7 p.m., Ferguson Ballroom, sponsored by Black Student Union and the UA Chapter of the NAACP. 

Tuesday, Feb. 7, Documentary “Black Power Mixtape,” unseen footage of the Black Power movement, 7 p.m., Bama Theatre, sponsored by Summersell Center for the Study of the South. 

Wednesday, Feb. 8,  lecture, “Intersections & Interventions, Part I: The Life & Work of Bayard Rustin,” Dr. Houston Baker, Vanderbilt University, with Adam Sharples and Dr. Meredith M. Bagley of UA, 7 p.m., Ferguson Center Forum, sponsored by Capstone Alliance, College of Arts and Sciences diversity committee, and the department of communication studies. 

Friday, Feb. 10, Dr. Ethel H. Hall African-American Heritage Month celebration, “A History of Racial Inequality: A Social Work Response,” Dr. Larry Davis, University of Pittsburgh, noon-1 p.m., 223 Little Hall, sponsored by the UA School of Social Work Board of Friends; “Intersections & Interventions, Part II: Bayard Rustin at 100, Lessons in Activism,” discussion with Mandy Carter, founder of National Black Justice Coalition, 7 p.m., Ferguson Center Forum, sponsored by Capstone Alliance. 

Wednesday, Feb. 15,  The Link: Opportunity, Internships and Career Success, 6-9 p.m.,  Alabama Museum of Natural History, Smith Hall grand gallery, $5 for students, registration required at https://sites.google.com/a/cba.ua.edu/the-link/, sponsored by the Lambda Zeta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta. 

Thursday, Feb. 16, Community Conversations, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Crossroads Lounge,“Religion & Culture,” Dr. Ann Pellegrini, New York University, 7 p.m., 205 Gorgas Library, sponsored by the department of religious studies. 

Monday, Feb. 20, African-American Heritage campus tour with Dr. Jason Black, noon and 3 p.m., Reese Phifer rotunda, sponsored by department of communication studies; Valerie Tutson, storytelling workshop, 2-4 p.m., 132 Lloyd, and “A Celebration of Black Culture, Story and Song,” 7-9 p.m., 125 ten Hoor, sponsored by the Honors College, Housing and Residential Communities;  AAHM National Read-in, 5:30 p.m., Crossroads Lounge, sponsored by Women’s Resource Center, department of gender and race studies and the counseling center.

Tuesday, Feb. 21, “Our Southern Home: Scottsboro to Montgomery to Birmingham – The Transformation of the South in the Twentieth Century,” Waights Taylor Jr., 4:30 p.m., 324 Lloyd, sponsored by the Summersell Center for the Study of the South and the department of gender and race studies; “Fostering Intersectionality,” student dialogue,  6 p.m., 202 Lloyd, sponsored by Capstone Alliance, Spectrum, Safe Zone and Sigma Lambda Gamma.

Thursday, Feb. 23, Cultural Awareness Day, 9 a.m., Brewer-Porch Children’s Center, sponsored by the Ferguson Center and Brewer-Porch Children’s Center; EveryWoman Book Club discussion of “Don’t Play in the Sun: One Woman’s Journey Through the Color Complex” by Marita Golden, noon, University Club, $11.83 for lunch, sponsored by Women’s Resource Center; “Slavery by Another Name,”  lecture by Doug Blackmon, 6 p.m. in 205 Gorgas, sponsored by New College and Summersell Center for the Study of the South.

Friday, Feb. 24 and Sunday, Feb. 26 – Sankofa: Honoring the Past While Acknowledging the Present, 6:30 p.m., Ferguson Center Theatre, sponsored by Student Government Association.

Saturday, Feb. 25, Birmingham day trip, Walking through Our History: Civil Rights, free to the UA campus community, contact Women’s Resource Center, 205/348-5040, sponsored by Women’s Resource Center, gender and race studies, and New College. 

Monday, Feb. 27, “Health Care Disparities: The Healing of America,” presentation and book signing by T.R. Reid, 7 p.m., 127 Biology, sponsored by New College. 

Thursday, March 1, Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Lecture Series, “Because When God Is too Busy – Haiti, Me and the World,” by performance artist Dr. Gina Ulysse, 7 p.m., Stinson Auditorium, Stillman College, sponsored by Realizing the Dream committee and the department of gender and race studies. 

Friday, March 2, Ethnography Workshop, “Alter(ed)natives,” Dr. Gina Ulysse, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Ferguson Center Forum, sponsored by department of gender and race studies, to participate RSVP to howel016@ua.edu; MLK Performing Arts Presentation, Reanae McNeal, “The Jazz Singing Women,” 7:30 p.m., Shelton State Community College Recital Hall, Martin Campus, contact 205/391-2277 or www.theatretusc.com, sponsored by Realizing the Dream committee. 

Thursday, March 8, Communication and Diversity Forum, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., 205 Gorgas Library, sponsored by  College of Communication and Information Sciences. 

For a complete list of events and sponsors, go to http://www.crossroads.ua.edu/media/pdf/AAHMCalendar2012.pdf; for more information about Crossroads, go to http://www.crossroads.ua.edu/.