ISU hosts Black History Month film series
Written by June Delahunty on January 30, 2026
Image courtesy of ISU African American Studies Program
NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State University’s African American Studies Program is hosting a Black History Month film series in collaboration with the Normal Theater, featuring free weekly screenings focused on themes of resistance and advocacy.
“The theme that really resonated, given the current times that we’re in, was resistance and advocacy,” said Banks.
The series begins Monday, Feb. 2, and will include four events highlighting Black history in the United States. All screenings are free and open to the public.
“The goal is to commemorate Black History Month and offer some space to really engage people with Black history in a critical way,” Banks said.
This marks the second year the program has hosted the film series. Banks said the event is designed to engage the campus and community through an entertaining, informative and accessible format.
“One thing we were able to do last year that we didn’t get to do this year was host a performance,” Banks said. “My hope is that as we expand, we continue to collaborate across different units on our campus.”
The first screening, “Becoming Thurgood,” will be shown Feb. 2 and documents the life of Thurgood Marshall, the first Black U.S. Supreme Court justice.
On Feb. 9, the series will continue with “The Black Power Mixtape 1967–1975,” which examines the rise and evolution of the Black Power movement.
The third film, “The First Rainbow Coalition,” will be screened Feb. 16 and tells the story of several 1960s activist groups that united around a shared cause.
All three films will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Normal Theater and will be followed by discussion panels.
“We want to make sure the films we choose have a cohesive theme,” Banks said. “So when people engage from one film to the next, they can draw connections and call back to the previous film.”
The series will conclude Feb. 23 with a panel discussion featuring ISU faculty members Dr. Angell Howard, Tamekia Bailey and Dr. Gavin Weiser, who will reflect on the films’ themes and their relevance today.
