Celebrate Black History Month with events at both Oakton campuses

Oakton College will commemorate Black History Month throughout February with a series of events at its Des Plaines and Skokie campuses and some online activities.

All events are free to attend and open to the public. The theme of the series is “African Americans and Labor.”

A book discussion series that began last week will continue through February. The subject is Byron Motley’s “The Negro Baseball Leagues: Tales of Umpiring Legendary Players, Breaking Barriers and Making American History.” Discussions are scheduled to run from noon to 2 p.m. on Feb. 13, 20 and 27 at the Center for Campus Inclusion and Diversity at the Des Plaines’ campus, 1600 Golf Road. Virtual participation is encouraged.

A workshop titled “Breaking the Stigma: Black Mental Health Matters” is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, at the Des Plaines campus’ student center. It will be led by therapist Damita Cravens.

A market celebrating the African diaspora will be staged Wednesday, Feb. 19, at the Skokie campus, 7701 Lincoln Ave. Featuring Black-owned businesses that sell food, artwork, clothes and jewelry, it’ll run from 5 to 9 p.m. in the Acorn rooms and halls.

A virtual panel discussion called “Connect & Conquer: Black Excellence in Careers” is planned for 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20.

An array of original Black movie posters from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s will be displayed Feb. 21 through March 28 at the Koehnline Museum of Art at the Des Plaines campus. A public reception is scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday, March 6.

Screenings of “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” a documentary about the late civil rights leader and congressman, is scheduled for noon Friday, Feb. 28, at the Des Plaines student center and the diversity center in Skokie. Audience discussions will follow the films.

Finally, take in a screening of “The League,” a documentary about the Negro baseball leagues, at noon Thursday, Feb. 27, at the Des Plaines campus’ student center. Author Byron Motley, whose father was an umpire in the leagues, will speak with audience members after the film.

For more information or to register for any of these events, visit events.oakton.edu.