ISU hosting several events for the end of Black History Month

Image courtesy of Illinois State University

NORMAL, Ill. – This month, Illinois State University is hosting several events in celebration of black history month. 

This week ISU has special guest lecture presented by Dr. Barbara Fields. “Is Race Identity” will take place in the Prairie Room in Bone Student Center from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 28. Dr. Fields is a professor at Columbia University and a Macarthur Fellowship recipient. Interim chief equity and inclusion officer Dr. Byron Craig considers this to be the cumulative event for this month. 

Dr. Craig was able to highlight more of the events at ISU and he said, “It’s important that our students are aware of this history and even where black history month came from.” 

Dr. Stanford Carpenter and Dr. Eric Wesselman are diving into a five-week Honors Exploration course, “Can You Dig It?” The course explores “Blaxploitation” which is a genre beginning in the 1970s that includes black characters fighting against racism. Four films and a documentary will be shown at the Normal Theater in Uptown Normal. This will lead to a discussion afterwards with speakers after the event. 

Dr. Craig said, “They will have several faculty members speak after the event and I’ll be one of those speakers, actually.”

The ISU Alumni Association Book Club is taking a look at “Take My Hand” by Dolen Perkins-Valdez on Feb. 29 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Members can read and discuss topics from her book. Members and non-member can register to hear from the author. 

“It’s important because it provides students, faculty and staff and the larger community with more knowledge about the accomplishments and the contributions that african-american and other people of color have added to this country,” said Dr. Craig.