Western to Host Slate of Free Campus Events for Black History Month
February is Black History Month, and Western Washington University has organized multiple events to celebrate and honor cultural diversity and the experiences of the campus community’s black students, faculty, and staff.
All events are free and open to the public.
Tuesday, Feb. 4
“More Than a Gift”
Lecture and performance by Haitian classical pianist Nerva Altino.
7:30 p.m., PAC Concert Hall
Thursday, Feb. 6
“Networking Luncheon”
Opportunity for black faculty, staff and students to join in community via networking, celebration, and food.
Noon – 1 p.m., VU 565 B/C
“Giving Birth While Black”
Black women are three-and-a-half times more likely to die in childbirth than white women. To combat the disparity, Dr. Rochanda Mitchell will discuss the need to hire more African American nurse educators and providing anti-bias training for medical professionals.
6 p.m., KUGS-FM 89.3 or kugs.org
Friday, Feb. 7
“Harriet” (Oscar-nominated Film)
The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman’s escape from slavery and transformation into one of America’s greatest heroes, whose courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.
5 p.m. – 7 p.m., VU 552
Thursday, Feb. 13
“Stone Soup: A – Z on Equity, Diversity and Social Justice Dynamics”
Stone Soup is an opportunity to engage in conversation and community over soup; facilitated by Human Services students and Shurla Thibou.
12 p.m., VU Multicultural Center Kitchen
“American Terrorism”
In 1979, members of the Ku Klux Klan shot and killed five civil rights activists in Greensboro, North Carolina. The killings still reverberate in the racial politics of Greensboro today. This discussion will delve into how radical African-American writers, in pre-Civil War era, used the philosophical principles of the Enlightenment to unmask the barbarism of slavery.
6 p.m., KUGS-FM 89.3 or kugs.org
Friday, Feb. 14
“The Role of Race in Politics and Activism”
Politician, educator, and activist Erin Jones will speak about how she got involved in politics/activism and how her experiences as a black woman have contributed to her work.
12 p.m. – 1 p.m., VU 567
Tuesday-Friday, Feb. 18-21
“Strange Fruit”
Visiting lecture and performances: Donald Byrd and performance by Spectrum Dance Theatre
Donald Byrd Q&A at the Ethnic Student Center: 4 p.m. on Feb. 19
Free performances of "Strange Fruit," which explores lynching as a tool of racial terrorism during the Jim Crow era, will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 and 21.
Wednesday, Feb. 19
“Rise Up: The Movement That Changed America”
Explore leadership in the civil rights movement through the lenses of community cultural wealth and principles for leading in a multicultural world embodied in black leadership and illustrated in the movement.
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., VU 552
Thursday, Feb. 20
“Environmental Film Series, TED Talks to celebrate intersectionality, the environment, and Black History Month”
TED Talks about the environment, community, and intersectionality by influential people of color. Followed by a discussion.
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., MH 152
“Poetic Justice”
When writer and radio producer Lulu Miller (Invisibilia) discover she’d have to leave Virginia, she wrote a startling love letter to the state – one that charges everyday people to stay angry about injustice. Using hip-hop and spoken word to tell hard truths about racist history, cutting through denial with metaphor. Actress Tawnya Pettiford-Wates believes that theatre can heal injustice because she’s seen it happen, and Artesla Green explains how West African spirituality helps her illuminate new dimensions to familiar plays.
6 p.m., KUGS-FM or kugs.org
Tuesday, Feb. 25
Environmental Film Series - “Urban Roots”
Watch this documentary film about the urban farming in Detroit, with a discussion about food security, environmental justice, and how those topics impact their communities.
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., VU 552
Thursday, Feb. 27
Environmental Film Series - “An American Ascent”
Documentary film about the first black mountaineering team to summit Denali.
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Miller Hall 152
“Stone Soup: Conversation on Black Futures”
Stone Soup is an opportunity to engage in conversation and community over soup, facilitated by Nini Hayes and Elaine Mehary.
12 p.m. – 1p.m., VU Multicultural Center Kitchen
“Reconstructing Danville”
In 1883, a young African American worker was alleged to have brushed shoulders with a white woman as they passed each other on a narrow sidewalk in Danville, Virginia. A race riot erupted and the white supremacist backlash that followed led to the disenfranchisement of black Virginians for nearly 100 years.
6 p.m., KUGS-FM 89.3 or kugs.or
Every Friday during Black History Month
“Moments to Remember”
Moments to Remember with host Henry Louis Gates Jr. is a series of radio features highlighting African Americans whose contributions are part of our American history. This series is designed to celebrate Black history throughout the year.
10 a.m., KUGS-FM 89.3, or kugs.org
For disability accommodations please contact as.disability@wwu.edu.