Oakton celebrates Black History Month
Oakton College’s series of events commemorating Black History Month continues Friday and lasts through the end of February.
Oakton’s first African Diaspora Market will run from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, in Room 1608 at the Des Plaines campus, 1600 E. Golf Road. Vendors selling food, crafts, clothing, jewelry and more will gather for the event.
On Tuesday, students interested in transferring to a Historically Black College or University can learn about the process in a program in Room 2901 at the Des Plaines campus. Students should register to attend.
A cooking demonstration and book signing featuring food writer and author Adrian Miller is set for noon Thursday, Feb. 22, in Room 1530 at the Des Plaines campus. A James Beard Award winner, Miller has written three books: “Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time”; “The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, From the Washingtons to the Obamas”’ and “Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue.”
Miller also was featured in the Netflix series “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America.”
The same day, Chef Q Ibraheem will offer a cooking demonstration at 4 p.m. in Room 1530 at the Oakton campus.
Ibraheem is the founder of an underground dining experience called Teertsemasesottehg. She also founded a free farm-to-fork meal program called Kids with Co-workers. In 2021, she received the Red Cross Disaster Services Hero award for service to the community.
Finally, author, poet and motivational speaker Allen J. Bryson will appear at noon Feb. 29 in Room 1530 at the Des Plaines campus. Noted by the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center as one of Chicago’s Kings of Poetry, Bryson is the author of two books: “Sleeping with My Eyes Open” and “The Ministry of Motivation.”
All activities are free to attend and open to the public.
For more information and details about these and other events, visit events.oakton.edu/black-history-month.