The University of Lynchburg will celebrate Black History Month with more than a dozen virtual events throughout February.
The series, which follows a weeklong Martin Luther King Jr. celebration under the theme “Good Trouble: Uniting Our Dreams and Voices for Justice,” will “continue to honor the contributions of Blacks in the fabric of both our national and local community,” Vice President for Inclusive Excellence Dr. Robert Canida announced in an email. All events are open to the public.
In his message, Canida referenced Amanda Gorman, the nation’s first youth poet laureate, who spoke during the inauguration of President Joe Biden on Jan. 20. “We are striving to forge a union with purpose, to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man,” Gorman’s poem “The Hill We Climb” reads in part.
“We hope to replicate this commitment at Lynchburg, not only in February but all year round,” Canida said.
Lynchburg’s Black History Month calendar includes, among other events, a series of Courageous Conversations with discussions on race, justice, and equity, as well as a spoken word exhibition on Feb. 11 that includes poet Petrina Bryant aka Trin-A-Thoughtz and former Miss Black North Carolina Pia Jessup, among others.
A gospel concert on Feb. 28 featuring Virginia and North Carolina singers, as well as Lynchburg students Stephanie Brown ’22 and Christopher Nusbaum ’21, wraps up the month. A complete list of events is below.
All events are hosted by the Black History Month Planning Committee and co-sponsored by the University’s Office of Equity and Inclusion and the Johnson Health Center. You can find them on the University’s public events calendar. For more information, contact Canida at canida_rl@lynchburg.edu or 434.544.8540.
Black History Month Events:
- Monday, Feb. 1, 6 p.m.: “Renaissance and Revolution: Black History, Our History” with Rasheed Cromwell
- Wednesday, Feb. 3, 6:30 p.m.: “The Life of a Black Academic: Tired and Terrorized Because History and Current Events Matter” with Dr. Henrika McCoy (Courageous Conversation)
- Monday, Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m.: “An Unprecedented People for Unprecedented Times” with Dr. Michael Elliott
- Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2 p.m.: “Health Disparity and Black/African American Women: What’s Weight Got to Do With It?” with Dr. Tonya Price (Courageous Conversation)
- Thursday. Feb. 11, 6:30 p.m.: Spoken Word featuring Petrina Bryant, Pia Jessup, Nick Courmon, and Keiara Reese
- Monday, Feb. 15, 2 p.m.: You Belong & Matter: Quest for Racial Equity & Justice in Higher Education” with Dr. Terrell Strayhorn (Courageous Conversation)
- Wednesday, Feb. 17, 3 p.m.: “Creating Equity in Your Sandbox” with Matthew Woods (Courageous Conversation)
- Saturday, Feb. 20, 5 p.m.: Kuumba Dancers Virtual
- Tuesday, Feb. 23, 6:30 p.m.: “Breathing and Visualizing Justice and Agency Through Art” with the Art & Justice Panel (Courageous Conversation)
- Wednesday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m.: “Amphibious Subjects: The Contested Politics of Queer Self-Making in Neoliberal Ghana” with Dr. Kwame Otu
- Thursday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m.: “Beyond Strolling: The Divine Nine’s role in Social Justice, Community Service & Uniting Black Voices” with the National Pan-Hellenic Council Panel
- Sunday, Feb. 28, 4 p.m.: Gospel Concert featuring Lynchburg students Stephanie Brown and Christopher Nusbaum
