Black History Month Events
2/6/2012
West Virginia State University will host a variety of activities during Black History Month
February 14 - 7 p.m. - Davis Fine Arts theater
Over It! Word Flow Experience: "Opening Hearts with the Truth of Violence Against Women" - an elegant poetry event with a Valentine’s theme. Raffle tickets for items including one dozen red roses will be sold to raise money to help victims of abuse. Family friendly. Admission: new socks to go to children (K-12) at the Roosevelt Neighborhood Center in Charleston. For information contact Neci Pickens pickenn@wvstateu.edu
February 16 - 10:30 a.m. - Ferrell Hall auditorium
Black History Month Convocation
Featured speaker - Dennis Rahiim Watson, motivational speaker and Chairman of the National Youth and Gang Violence Taskforce.
Dennis Rahiim Watson was kicked out of high school 37 times. Throughout his lifetime he faced severe hardships and disadvantages. Today, he is one of America's most powerful motivational speakers, and has been likened to Jesse Jackson, Bill Cosby and Les Brown. He was recently honored by President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton, on the 25th anniversary of his critically acclaimed one man show "The First Black President Of The United States." He has received over 250 awards for his work with Black Youth, among them five white house citations.
The Convocation will be followed by the Taste of Soul Food at the Noon hour in the University Union
February 16 - Faculty Lecture Series Topic: John F. Matheus: Race, Diseased Bodies and Broken Hearts
Presenter: Dr. Carol Taylor Johnson, Associate Professor of English; The National Center for Human Relations
*John Frederick Matheus (1887-1983) chairperson of the Department of Romance Languages at West Virginia State (1922-1953) provided a significant contribution of writings to the Harlem Renaissance/ New Negro Movement. A major agenda of the movement was to use literature and the expressive arts as a social tool, to project images of accomplished, well-bodied individuals thereby challenging the horrific misperceptions of the African Diaspora during the Jim Crow era.
*This research was funded partially by a West Virginia State Faculty Development grant.
February 16 & 17 - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. - 128 Wilson University Union
Historic African American stamp collection
February 20 - 24 - African American Read In - Wilson University Union
WVSU's Drain Jordan Library, NYANSA, and Student Support Services are sponsors of the read-in to help make literacy a part of Black History Month
February 21 - 10:30 a.m. - Davis Fine Arts Theater
Aubrey Stewart Project
School groups and members of the public are invited to the WVSU campus to attend this presentation.
February 22 - 6 p.m. - Culture Center Theater
Aubrey Stewart from Piedmont WV is one of a group of African American soldiers known as the Wereth 11, members of the 333 Field Artillery Battalion in World War II who became separated from their unit during the Battle of the Bulge. They were tortured and killed by the Nazis near the town of Wereth Belgium. Little was known of their fate until years after the War ended.
Aubrey Stewart Project
T.J. Coleman, creator of the project, will make the presentation.
February 25 - 7:30 p.m. - Davis Fine Arts Theater
Inspiration - gospel inspired jazz under the direction of Jonathan Wesley