UA News

Lectures, art exhibitions, film screenings and a college planning day are among the range of events to be held at the UA this month to commemorate Black History Month.

Organizations on and off the University of Arizona campus have come together to kick off the Black History Month  celebration, which will include lectures, film screenings, art exhibitions, performances and other events. 

The month's keynote speaker is Rev. Irene Monroe, coordinator of the African American Roundtable of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry at the Pacific School of Religion.

Monroe is also a syndicated religion columnist who blogs for the Huffington Post blogger. She has also written several award-winning essays addressing issues of race, misogyny and homophobia.

Monroe will speak Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. The location will be announced at a later to date. To learn more, call 520-621-3419.

At noon on Feb. 2, "The Gatekeepers," a 15-member gospel ensemble, will perform gospel music, negro spirituals and contemporary songs. The event will be held on the UA Mall and is free and open to the public. The ensemble will perform again Feb. 16 on the UA Mall, also at noon.

Also this week, "Defaced: A Found Archive," is open at the Union Gallery, located on the third floor of the Student Union Memorial Center. 

The exhibition features "mutilated books" that UA master of fine arts student Coriana Close found in the University library's collection, said Holly Brown, the gallery's curator. 

Coriana Close, who created the work, will give a talk Feb. 4 during a reception that will be held 5 to 7 p.m. at the gallery.

Close "has selected key images to address issues of racism, misogyny, anonymous and free speech, and how these acts of vandalism impact the public at large," Brown said.

"While mutilation of books is a nearly universal problem amongst public library collections, it usually takes the form of highlighting, note taking, and page removal," she added. "In contrast, however, these pages have been systematically annotated, illustrated, and in effect rewritten."

Also, the Jack and Vivian Hanson Arizona Film Institute and UA School of Media Arts are sponsoring "In Our Own Voice: African American Film Makers Oscar Micheaux, Spike Lee, and Noland Walker." The four-day symposium gets kicked of Feb. 3 and includes a schedule of events to be held at multiple locations on campus.

Also, the award-winning, Oscar-nominated film, "Precious," will be screened Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. at the Gallagher Theater. The film is about a teenage girl who experiences physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

Maria Moore, program director for African American Student Affairs, said the film is especially important because, while it is "really difficult to watch, it portrays a lot of social and political realities that people don't often talk about."

Moore said she hopes people will not only learn something new from the events this month, but that they will also contribute to community-building.

Other events include: 

Feb. 4: The State of Black Arizona will be held at The Historical Manning House, 450 W. Paseo Redondo, to discuss the experience of African Americans. The community forum will be held 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. to discuss data culled about the lives of African Americans living in Tucson and elsewhere throughout Arizona A celebration will follow. Registration is required by sending an e-mail to eventrsvp@asu.edu.

Feb. 5: The African American Student Affairs Board will host a Block Party Preview from 5:30pm to 7:30 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center, 1322 E. First St. The casual reception is free and open to everyone and will include auditions for those interested in performing during the annual Block Party.

Feb. 6: The UA Office of Admissions is holding the African American College Planning Day 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Union Memorial Center. The event, geared toward African American high school students, will cover financial aid, admissions and provide other information related to the college-going process. For more information, call 520-621-3677.

Feb. 8: The film, "Mississippi Burning," will screen at Gallagher Theater at 7 p.m. A discussion will be held after the screening with Elwood McDowell, an adjunct lecturer in the Africana Studies Program, and Geta LeSeur, a UA associate professor of Africana Studies and English who also is a Faculty Fellow.

Feb. 10: "Being Out and/or Allied," a panel discussion with members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community will be held 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Room 100 of the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center.

Feb. 11: "Pumps and Polos II," a discussion about relationships between men and women, will be held at 6 p.m. in Room 100 of the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center. The event is hosted by the African American Student Affairs programming board, and is free and open to all.

Feb. 15: "American Violet" will be screened at 7 p.m. at Gallagher Theater. The film is based the story of Dee Roberts who, after being accused of selling drugs in school zone, takes on the district attorney and the state justice system. The Black Law Students Association will hold a discussion after the filming.

Feb. 15: Maafa 21 will be held 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the Tucson Room of the Student Union Memorial Center. Maafa 21,  taken from the Swahili word meaning "genocide," is a film the chronicles genocide in the 21st century.

Feb. 17: The Women's Resource Center will screen "Say My Name," a film about female lyricists of the male-dominated and misogynistic hip hop and R&B world. The 7 p.m. screening will be held at the Gallagher Theater, located in the Student Union Memorial Center. 

Feb. 19: The annual Block Party will be held at 6 p.m. on the UA Mall. Hosted by the African American Student Affairs programming board and other organizations, the event will include music and performances.

Feb. 23: "The Black Table: An African American Guide to Eating Healthy" will be held at 6:30 p.m. in Room 100 of the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center. Members of Delta Sigma Theta will host a discussion forum about changing negative eating habits within the African American community.

Feb. 26: "Friday Night Live Presents: Shihan" will be held at 8 p.m. in Room 350 of the Modern Languages Building, 1423 E. University Blvd. The evening of poetry features Shihan, a nationally recognized slam poet. Local slam poets will also perform.

Feb. 27: SANKOFA will be hed 6:30 to 10 p.m. in the North Ballroom of the Student Union Memorial Center. The event is meant to fostercommunity and connect faculty with the student body. The gala will include speakers, food and dancing. To purchase tickets and for additional information, contact Gerard Roberts gerardr@email.arizona.edu or Yomi Ajulo yomi@email.arizona.edu.

Feb. 27: "A Black History Celebration" will be held 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, 2403 S. Martin Ave. Performances will be held and films will be shown throughout the day. Also, African American memorabilia will be on display. Lunch will be served between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. To learn more, contact James Paige at ppagesall@msn.com.