Nathaniel Pierce, Staff Writer~
Black History Month is an important part of the year in the United States. It is important in highlighting the accomplishments of African Americans throughout history, and it is important here at Lynchburg College. Every year, Black History Month reminds the world of the innovations and progress that African Americans have brought the country throughout history. From Martin Luther King Jr. to Malcolm X, so many men and women have brought change to the United States. The LC community works to honor these wonderful men and women. As a result, there are many events planned for this month here on campus. There are three major events happening this month.
The first major event is Saturday, Feb. 10, in the Memorial Ballroom. It is the Black History Month Showcase, presented by the SAB, BSA and SGA. The Showcase will be held at 7 p.m. and will feature Deray Mckesson. According to the flyer, Mckesson is “an educator, civil rights activist and a leading voice in the Black Lives Matter movement.” For more information, contact SAB at sab@lynchburg.edu.
The second major event will be held on Monday, Feb. 12, in the Hopwood Auditorium at 7 p.m. The lecture event is called “Museums and the Construction of Race: Investigating the Colonial Crime Scene.” It is sponsored by the Office of Equity & Inclusion and the Museum Studies Program at LC. Wandile Kasibe, who is the Public Programmes Coordinator of the Iziko Museum in Cape Town, South Africa, will be the featured speaker. For more information, contact the Office of Equity & Inclusion at oei@lynchburg.edu.
Another event will be held on Friday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Ballroom. Titled “By Any Means Necessary: An Evening with Malcolm X,” there will be a fictional theatrical interview with Malcolm X. The characters will be portrayed by Desmond Mosby, an LC employee in the office of student employment, and LC alumnus Jemon Haskins ’93. This presentation, sponsored by the Office of Equity & Inclusion, will give a “…view of Malcolm’s philosophical evolution from ardent Black Nationalist to someone who believed there was much more to be gained by garnering the resources of all races and cultures,” according to OEI’s flyer.
In addition, Jerica Simmons, the Black Student Association president and the Student Diversity Council Chair here at LC, said that “there is still room for organizations to add events or expand what they are doing.”