Goucher College Celebrates Black History Month

Release date: February 06, 2007 |

Goucher College celebrates Black History Month this February with a series of events, performances, and lectures designed to honor African-American achievement.

The festivities start on Tuesday, February 6 at 7 p.m. in Merrick Lecture Hall with “So You Think You’re White (Black)?,” a program that examines what happens when people learn, via DNA testing, that their racial makeup includes unexpected European, African, Asian, or indigenous ancestry. The audience will view an episode of the PBS series “African-American Lives,” in which a prominent African-American Harvard University scholar learns he has European ancestry. Afterward, several Goucher community members who have taken self-administered DNA tests will talk about their results.

On Wednesday, February 7, join members of the Goucher community from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Geen Community Center for “Reflections on Black Poetry.” Attendees are encouraged to bring their lunch and share a favorite poem by a black poet.
 
On Friday, February 9, Goucher students, alumni, and faculty will come together at 6 p.m. in Buchner Hall for the Jewell Robinson Alumni Dinner. Named for Jewell Robinson, the first African-American student admitted to Goucher, this event is a chance for celebration, reflection, and fellowship. This event is by invitation only.

On Saturday, February 10, join student clubs UMOJA: The African Alliance and Wreckage on a daytrip to Baltimore’s Great Blacks in Wax Museum. This free trip will depart from Goucher at 11 a.m. R.S.V.P. to Priscilla Pan at Priscilla.pan@goucher.edu. Information about the museum can be found at www.ngbiwm.com.

A Black Student Union Summit will be hosted by UMOJA: The African Alliance and the Office of Multicultural Affairs on Sunday, February 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Heubeck Multipurpose Room. Other Baltimore-area black student unions are invited to attend this daylong networking and leadership development event.

The first installment of “Breaking the Bubble: Helping to Transform Lives” will be held on Monday, February 12 at 12 p.m. in Buchner Hall. This event will highlight individuals and organizations in the Greater Baltimore area that are working to transform their communities at a grassroots level.
 
Tuesday, February 13 will feature a screening of “Slavery and the Making of America” at 7 p.m. in Kelley Lecture Hall. This PBS series documents the history of American slavery, drawing on a wealth of recent scholarship and first-hand accounts. DaMaris Hill, director of Goucher’s Educational Opportunity Program, will facilitate discussion about slavery and social progress in the United States.
 
Goucher students of African descent will attend a special lunch at 1 p.m. on Sunday, February 18 in the Goucher House. This event is by invitation only. At 9:30 p.m., the Gopher Hole will host “Speak Up and Speak Out,” an evening of student spoken word focusing on global, national, and local issues of social justice. A panel of judges will select a student performer to receive a $200 prize.

“Spectacular Sights: Celebrating Africana Art at Goucher” will be offered in the Pearlstone Atrium on Tuesday, February 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come peruse or purchase work by local African and African-American artists, including Goucher’s own Marcia McCray, graphic designer in the Office of Communications.
 
Celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. at Goucher’s annual MLK Tribute Dinner on Thursday, February 22 at 6 p.m. in the Heubeck Multipurpose Room. This year’s theme is “connecting with the past to pave the way for the future.” The event is open to the public, but it requires an R.S.V.P. to Salvador Mena, associate dean for community living and multicultural affairs, at salvador.mena@goucher.edu.

On Sunday, February 25 at 3:45 p.m., Goucher’s Haebler Memorial Chapel will host Spiritual Growth Ministries, a monthly religious service organized by Goucher community living coordinator Kamal Sanders. The afternoon will feature worship, poetry, step dancing, and gospel music.

Goucher’s Black History Month programming is sponsored by the Office of Community Living and Multicultural Affairs, UMOJA, Alumnae/i Affairs, the Dean of Students Office, the Africana studies and peace studies programs, the Diversity Standing Committee, and the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life.