ECC's Black History Month celebration kicks off Jan. 30
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the photo is credited to L. Brian Stauffer, University of Illinois News Bureau.
Elgin Community College's annual Black History Month observance begins later this month, followed by a five-week series of programs and activities celebrating African-American culture, experience and heritage.
A kickoff celebration featuring student and employee performances will run from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. Jan. 30 in the Building B, Jobe Lounge at the college, 1700 Spartan Drive.
Professor Eboni Zamani-Gallaher will keynote a Feb. 1 brunch from 10 a.m. to noon in the Building E Dining Room. She teaches higher education/community college leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is director of the office for Community College Research and Leadership.
The brunch will be led by ECC students and employees with student performances and musical entertainment. Seating is limited and tickets can be purchased for $15 for students and $20 for community members at tickets.elgin.edu or at the ECC Arts Center box office in Building H.
Other Black History Month events include:
• Feb. 7: "The Achievers Clap Back: Black Student Perspectives, Wisdom and Voices," 12:30 to 2 p.m., Building G, Spartan Auditorium, Room G100. A student panel exploring the black student experience at ECC.
• Feb. 13: The "Negro Motorist Green Book" pop-up exhibit, all day, Building B, Jobe Lounge. Created in 1936, the "Negro Motorist Green Book" was a survival guide for African-Americans during the Jim Crow era to help avoid violence and humiliation. This is an interactive exhibit about the book.
• Feb. 21: "Men of Color Consortium," 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., Building G, Spartan Auditorium, Room G100. Open to men of color, this event equips participants with financial and personal tools to build a legacy.
• Feb. 27: "History of African-Americans in America: 1619 to Obama," 12:30 to 1:45 p.m., Building G, Spartan Auditorium, Room G100.
• Feb. 28: T'Challa vs. Killmonger: Exploring the Differences Between the Diaspora and the African-American Experience," 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Building B, Room B180. The dynamics between T'Challa and Killmonger depicted in the Hollywood blockbuster superhero flick "Black Panther" brought the oppression between African-born or African people and American-born or "rooted" black people to the forefront. The discussion will be led by Carla Kupe, associate general counsel and Title IX coordinator at Chicago State University.
• March 1: African ball, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Building E, Dining Room. A celebration of African fashion, food, song and dance, with presentations and vendors. Tickets are $15 each. Purchase tickets at tickets.elgin.edu or the box office in Building H.
• March 4: "Level Up," 2 to 3:30 p.m., Building B, Room B180. Strategies to promote success, building brand, eradicating barriers and preparing to take excellence to the next level.
All events are free and open to the public, except those ticketed. For more information, call the Office of Student Life at (847) 214-7078.
Black History Month activities are sponsored by the Black History Month Committee, the Office of Student Life, the Multicultural and Global Initiatives Committee, Black Student Achievers and the Center for International Education and Programs.