Kickoff Black History Month at CLC celebrating Dr. King's birthday
Join College of Lake County (CLC) in a celebration of Black excellence this Black History Month. CLC has events planned as part of a virtual celebration themed around "Tomorrow is Today. Tie your vision to the human desire for a better tomorrow," a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The events are free and open to the public. Originally planned to be in-person, they were shifted online because of the surge of COVID-19 cases in Lake County.
This year's events include:
Dr. King: Exemplifying Excellence 1st inaugural MLK celebration, Thursday Jan. 27, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul will join the event as a guest speaker as CLC honors the legacy of Dr. King, acknowledging CLC students and staff who are working toward Dr. Kings' legacy by exemplifying excellence in all they do for our students and each other with various awards.
4th annual Lake County's History Makers: State of the Black Male: Changing the narrative, Thursday, Feb. 3, 12-2 p.m. Professional Black men from Lake County will speak about their struggles and the men they are today. It will be moderated by business adjunct faculty member Marcus Morgan.
"We need to shed light on the positivity of Black males and their success, not look at them as another statistic," said African American Student Outreach and Programs Coordinator Beverly Phelps. "They are professional men, fathers and role models in their communities."
Why Black History Matters, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 12-1 p.m. This session will be a discussion about how the history we have been taught plays a role in the issues we are still facing today. It will explore the impact of cultural biases and determine if organizations are looking for assimilation or true integration.
Though Black History Month is a great chance to celebrate Black history, Phelps says it's important to not limit doing so to only February.
"It's important to celebrate Black history all year," Phelps said. "Black history is American history. It's okay to celebrate it 365 days a year."
Last October, CLC's Black Student Union wrapped up an exhibit at the Dunn Museum themed around Black voices.
For more information or questions, contact Beverly Phelps at 847-543-2778 or email bphelps1@clcillinois.edu. To register for the events, visit https://www.clcillinois.edu/events/black-history-month.