Waubonsee's Black History Month to explore history, poetry, music and more

Submitted by Waubonsee Community College

Waubonsee Community College will host the following events in February to celebrate Black History Month. All events will be virtual. Visit calendar.waubonsee.edu/BHM for information and to register.

• "Black Greek Poets," 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11. An international poetry network of college-educated creatives with a focus on members of historically Black Greek fraternities and sororities within the National Pan-Hellenic Council, will use their platform as a means to bridge poetry and the power of community engagement through fostering a safe space where artistic pursuit can be nourished and positively developed. Join Rashid White, Jeffrey "Big Homey" Banks and Andrew "Drew" Drake as they share their spoken word poetry and provide an open mic for others to share their artistic expressions and receive feedback from the Black Greek Poets themselves.

• "From Roots to Ends: The American Nature of Black Hair," 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16. Explore the American nature of Black hair, Dr. Sylvia Gray will take participants on a journey from roots to ends while exploring the placement of Black hair in America.

• "And the Beat Goes On: The Role of Black Music in American Pop," 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18. Host Dr. Joseph Flynn of Northern Illinois University will discuss the emergence of music from Africa through the liberation and celebration Black culture through music.

• "From Slave to Criminal with One Amendment," 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23. Join for an informed and probing discussion surrounding the topics covered in the Netflix documentary film, "13th" by director Ava DuVernay. There will be a virtual viewing of the film followed by a short discussion with Dr. Jacki Hartley, Waubonsee instructor of sociology.

• "Learning What We Don't Know: The 1619 Project: How Slavery Shaped America," 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25. A discussion about the ongoing New York Times initiative which re-examines the legacy of slavery in the United States. Waubonsee faculty Dr. Jeanne McDonald and Dr. Amy Powers will lead a discussion about the initiative and how it has sparked a national debate.