UIC professor speaks as part of Black History Month activities
Elgin Community College's celebration of Black History Month begins with a keynote address by University of Illinois-Chicago Professor David Stovall, Ph.D., at the kickoff breakfast on Friday, Jan. 29. The event will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. in the Building E dining room on the college's Spartan Drive campus, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
Stovall is a professor of educational policy studies and African-American studies at UIC. His research interests include critical race theory, school-community relationships, youth culture and the relationship between housing and K-to-12 school systems.
Since his arrival at UIC, Stovall has been working with youth, community organizations and schools in Chicago, New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area. Furthering his attempt to connect K to 12 and university spaces, Stovall also serves as a volunteer social studies teacher at the Lawndale Little Village School of Social Justice.
In 2006, he published the book chapter "From Hunger Strike to High School: Youth Development, Social Justice and School Formation" in "Beyond Resistance! Youth and Community Change: New Democratic Possibilities for Practice and Policy for America's Youth."
Seating is limited and tickets for the breakfast can be purchased for $5 at tickets.elgin.edu.
Other events during Black History Month include the following. All events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the Office of Student Life at (847) 214-7425.
• Join the documentary film screening of "Project 2-3-1 Two Boxcars, Three Blocks, One City" from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, in Building G Spartan Auditorium. "Project 2-3-1" documents the presence, heritage, and contributions of African-Americans in Elgin. Executive Producer Ernie Broadnax will be available for a question-and-answer session after the film.
• A traveling exhibit of "Project 2-3-1" graphically details the development of the African-American community in Elgin and highlights individuals who made a difference in each generation. It will be on display from Jan. 26 to Feb. 23 in Building B Jobe Lounge.
• Listen as various community readers share selected works from African-American writers in the "African-American Read-In" from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, in Building C Library, Room C120. Music, refreshments, and raffle prizes will be available.
• Celebrate a healthy lifestyle by visiting the health fair from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, in Building B Jobe Lounge. Various community agencies and resource partners will be in attendance to address health disparities in the black community. Free health screenings will be provided.
• Do you think you can dance? Visit the Jobe Lounge to learn the cha-cha, wobble, cupid shuffle, biker shuffle, nae-nae, and more in "Whip, Wobble, and Nae-Nae" from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesdays, Feb. 17 and 24, in Building B Jobe Lounge.
• Examine the structural forces that have sustained the prison industrial complex in "Challenging the New American Slavery" from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18, in Building B Heritage Room (Room B180). The prison industrial complex is the system set up to supply prisoners for the benefit of business. The creation of the ghetto and the structural forces that impact its growth also will be examined.
• Bring the entire family to ECC for this college readiness event at "We Are Family" from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, in Building E Dining Room. Workshops for parents and family members will detail the importance of education and financial literacy. A campus and community resource fair will be available during the event. This free event includes lunch. Please arrive by 9:30 a.m. and R.S.V.P to ryanez@elgin.edu.
• Every family has its own story. From ancestral anecdotes to generational tales of relatives past and present, everyone has a rich genealogical heritage. Share your family stories in a welcoming and supportive environment in "Soul Stories" from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, in Building B Jobe Lounge.
• Adapted from Harriet Ann Jacobs' autobiographical 1861 novel, this performance explores the themes of resilience and survival in "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, in Building H Arts Center Second Space Theater. This stage presentation tells Jacobs' story of growing up in slavery, culminating with the seven years she spent hiding in her grandmother's attic. Tickets are $25. To purchase, visit tickets.elgin.edu.