Alabama Poet Laureate Ashley Jones has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 1, at 6 p.m. via Zoom. Register here.
Black History Month
The national theme for the month, as announced by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, is “Black Health and Wellness.” Learn more about Black History Month.
“Each year the question is asked: Why does Black History Month occur in February? The relevance of February goes back to 1926, when the Association for the Study of African American Life and History’s founder Dr. Carter G. Woodson first established “Negro History Week” during the second week of February. And why that week? Because it encompasses the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass—both men being great American symbols of freedom. However, Woodson never confined Negro History to a week. His life’s work and the mission of ASALH since its founding in 1915 represent a living testimony to the year-round and year-after-year study of African American history.” Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, 2021 ASALH National President
Also, learn more about ‘The History Makers: UA’s Black Faculty and Staff.’
Events
Find more information on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion events on Eventbrite.
Black History Month Virtual Exhibitions
Tuesday, Feb. 1 – Monday, Feb. 28
The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will present virtual exhibits in observance of Black History Month 2022. Students, faculty, staff and community members will have the opportunity to view interactive tours at their leisure focusing on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Jim Crow era and more. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
National Museum of African American History and Culture – Freedom Calling: Interactive Tour
Dr. MLK Jr. Exhibit – The March
Diversity, Coffee and Conversations
Tuesday, Feb. 1 | 8:30 a.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s monthly Diversity, Coffee and Conversations program will focus on this year’s Black History Month national theme of Black Health and Wellness, which not only includes one’s physical body, but also emotional and mental health. The program will feature Dr. Pamela Payne Foster, Dr. Stephanie McClure and Dr. Joy Bradley. Dr. Foster will discuss her research and role on campus as the deputy director for community outreach for the College of Community Health Science’s Institute for Rural Health Research. Dr. McClure will cover the CommuniVax research project she piloted on campus and how the project seeks to bring about equitable COVID-19 vaccination rates. Dr. Bradley will discuss the role and importance of All of Us, covering the available resources, and ways in which one may get involved. Breakfast, coffee and other refreshments will be provided. Diversity, Coffee and Conversations occurs on first Tuesdays in the IDC. For more information, contact the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at diversity@ua.edu.
Black History Month Presentation
Tuesday, Feb. 1 | 3-4 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Social Enrichment)
The Intercultural Diversity Center will provide a PowerPoint presentation in observance of Black History Month and this year’s theme of Black Health and Wellness. This presentation will explore the purpose of Black History Month, prominent figures within the community, resources and more. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
The Colored Museum
Feb. 1-5 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. | Allen Bales Theatre
The UA Department of Theatre and Dance invites you to take a journey through the 11 exhibits of The Colored Museum and explore what it means to be Black in contemporary America. Come face to face with old and new stereotypes and, through George C. Wolfe’s in-your-face satire, challenge your understanding of Black culture. Tickets are $10.
Together for Creativity: A Collaboration with Central Elementary School
Jan. 12 – Feb. 25 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, Noon-8 p.m. on First Fridays | Paul R. Jones Museum, 2308 Sixth Street, downtown Tuscaloosa
Reception for artists: Friday, Feb. 4 | 5-8 p.m.
The Paul R. Jones Museum presents Together for Creativity: A Collaboration with Central Elementary School, an exhibition of artworks from the Paul R. Jones Collection and artworks by Tuscaloosa’s Central Elementary fifth-grade students. Last fall, museum director Daniel White gave the fifth graders a tour of the Paul R. Jones Museum during the recent exhibition Forward Movement: Selections from the Collection of Johnny and Allison Howze. The Howzes, inspired by Paul R. Jones, have been collecting works primarily by African American artists since 1997. Dr. Wendy Castenell, who teaches African American art history at UA and heads the committee that organized Together for Creativity, talked to the students after their museum tour to find out what they saw and how they experienced the art. She asked the mostly Black fifth graders what all the works in the exhibition seemed to have in common. “After a few enthusiastic comments about how they all had bright colors and used interesting materials,” Castenell said, “someone pointed out that the artists and subjects were all Black.” Castenell used that answer to remind the students that African Americans are artists and they often make art about Black history and culture.
Together for Creativity will exhibit approximately 50 artworks by the students, with each student selecting their strongest work themselves. This exhibition and program have been made possible by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Paul R. Jones Museum is an essential part of the education and development of UA students and our community. Admission to the museum is free. Face coverings are required inside the museum. For more information, call 205-345-3038 or go to the website.
Unreconciled: Race, History and Higher Education
Wednesday, Feb. 2 | 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. | Gorgas Library, Camellia and Yellowhammer Rooms
The University of Alabama Libraries is hosting Dr. Arthur Dunning for a guest lecture about his experience with the Jim Crow era, integrating the UA football team and more. Dunning is a UA alumnus from Marengo County, Alabama; former vice president of public service and outreach for the University of Georgia; former senior vice chancellor of The University System of Georgia; and president emeritus of Albany State University. Dunning is the author of “Unreconciled: Race, History and Higher Education in the Deep South.”
Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Lecture by Lee Sentell
Thursday, Feb. 3 | 3:30 p.m. | 118 Graves Hall
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
Join the College of Communications and Information Sciences for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Lecture to be given by Lee Sentell, Alabama state tourism director and author of the 2021 Official U.S. Civil Rights Trail Book. This book is the product of nearly 15 years of working to inventory and link the U.S. Civil Rights history that spans the South. His book lists historic sites in 15 states and is generating discussion for the ways sites are included, excluded, re-remembered or re-presented in the complex realm of Civil Rights tourism. This event is open to the public; books will be available for purchase and author signing. For more information, contact Dr. Suzanne Horsley, assistant dean of assessment, accreditation and diversity, at horsley@apr.ua.edu.
Social Justice Movie Series: “Target: Philadelphia” Virtual Screening
Friday, Feb. 4 | 7 p.m. | Virtual
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
The Intercultural Diversity Center will continue its Spring 2022 Social Justice Movie Series by showing “Target: Philadelphia.” Participants will explore the rise of police militarization within the parallel contexts of Black nationalism and the systemic disenfranchisement that incubates movements like Black Lives Matter, and the veracity of American exceptionalism is examined from a targeted perspective. Registration is required. Informational materials for this program will be provided. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Dr. Trudier Harris Intercollegiate Black History Scholars Bowl
Saturday, Feb. 5 | 9 a.m. | Bryant Conference Center
The University of Alabama Black Faculty and Staff Association has partnered with the UA Division of Student Life to host the 2022 Dr. Trudier Harris Intercollegiate Black History Scholars Bowl. This year’s event will feature teams from UA, Stillman College, Alabama State University, Alabama A&M University and several community colleges. This event is open to the public. Named after Dr. Trudier Harris, who is a distinguished research professor in the UA English department, the goal of the scholars bowl is to create an inclusive, educational environment for Black students.
TEDTalk Tuesdays: “Why Your Doctor Should Care About Social Justice”
Tuesday, Feb. 8 | Noon-1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Educational Engagement)
The Intercultural Diversity Center will continue its Spring 2022 TEDTalk Tuesday Series by featuring Mary Bassett. Participants will hear Bassett’s firsthand experience with the AIDS epidemic, the structural inequities embedded in the world’s political and economic organizations, and inequities that make marginalized people more vulnerable. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Black History Month Movie Screening: “Bessie”
Tuesday, Feb. 8 | 5-7 p.m. | Safe Zone Resource Center Lounge, 2418 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement) UA students only
For Black History Month, the Safe Zone Resource Center will host a screening of “Bessie,” a film about 1920s Blues artist Bessie Smith. Popcorn, snacks and drinks will be available for attendees. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at 205-348-7297 or safezone@ua.edu.
Food for Thought: Those Who Paved the Way
Wednesday, Feb. 9 | Noon-1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion continues its Food for Thought: Cultural Learning, Sharing and Teaching series by focusing on those individuals who have paved the way for others. The program will allow participants to hear from some of UA’s firsts in their respective areas. The goal of this program is to commemorate Black History Month while celebrating some of UA’s very own and provide an opportunity to hear about personal journeys and achievements and helpful insight on navigating corporate spaces as a person of color. This program will have several giveaways to support educational efforts. Register to reserve your spot. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
WGRC Black History Month Lecture Series
Feb. 10, Feb. 17 and Feb. 24 | 5-6 p.m. each day | Virtual
The Women and Gender Resource Center will host a three-part lecture series for Black History Month. Information and registration links are below.
Andrea Early, WGRC therapist, and Jennifer Turner, Counseling Center therapist, will discuss “Black Mental Health” on Feb. 10. Registration Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/bhmwgrcDr. April Caddell, faculty member at Stillman College, will discuss “Black Veganism” on Feb. 17.Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/bhmwgrcDr. Pamela Payne Foster, professor in Community Medicine and Population Health at UA, will discuss “Anti-Black Racism in Medicine” on Feb. 24.Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/bhmwgrc
For more information, contact the Women and Gender Resource Center at elester1@ua.edu.
TEDTalk Tuesdays: “The Problem with Race-Based Medicine”
Tuesday, Feb. 15 | Noon-1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Educational Engagement)
The Intercultural Diversity Center’s TEDTalk Tuesday Series continues with global scholar and University of Pennsylvania civil rights sociologist and law professor Dorothy Roberts. Participants will learn how doctors still use race as a medical shortcut, make import decisions like pain tolerance based on a patient’s skin color and lays out the lingering traces of how to end race-based medicine. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
A Passion That Never Leaves You: Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Sandral Hullett
Tuesday, Feb. 15 | 12:15 -1:15 p.m. | Virtual
The College of Community Health Sciences will host its Black History Month lecture: A Passion that Never Leaves You: Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Sandral Hullett via Zoom. Keynote speakers will be Loretta Wilson and Dr. Wanda Madison Minor. Wilson is CEO of Hill Hospital in Sumter County, Alabama, and founder and director of the Rural Alabama Prevention Center, a nonprofit organization that addresses social determinants of health in West Central Alabama. She also serves on the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services. A lifelong resident of Alabama’s Black Belt, Wilson is a Stillman College graduate. Minor is a research deputy with the Kettering Foundation in Dayton, Ohio, where she focuses on nontraditional institutions working with young adults living within the margins of society. A native of Livingston, Alabama, Minor is a graduate of The University of Alabama.
Diversity Speaker Series: Lisa McNair, Virtual Keynote
Tuesday, Feb. 15 | 6-7 p.m. | Zoom
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will host Lisa S. McNair, the oldest living sister of Denise McNair, one of the four girls killed in the infamous 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Lisa McNair is a national public speaker under her own business, Speak Lisa, where she shares the story of Denise’s life, her heinous murder, how it affected her family and the city of Birmingham. Registration is required. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Autherine Lucy: Forgotten Hero Campus Tours
Wednesdays, Feb. 16, March 2 and March 23 | 9-10:30 a.m. | Starts at Malone-Hood Plaza in front of Foster Auditorium
This is a counter-narrative tour led by Meredith Bagley, UA associate professor of Communication Studies, about the event of Autherine Lucy’s 1956 enrollment at UA and the ongoing, dynamic public memory landscape that is the UA campus. This is a walking tour and participants should dress for the weather.
Ethel H. Hall Colloquium: Kemba Smith Pradia, Keynote Speaker
Wednesday, Feb. 16 | 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | Virtual
Kemba Smith Pradia, BSW, is set to deliver the keynote address as part of the 2022 Ethel H. Hall African American Heritage Month Celebration Colloquium. Pradia went from college student to drug dealer’s girlfriend to domestic violence victim to federal prisoner; and in 1994 she was sentenced to 24.5 years in federal prison. Her case drew support from across the nation. Often labeled the “poster child” for reversing a disturbing trend in the rise of lengthy sentences for first-time, non-violent drug offenders, Pradia’s story was featured on a variety of television shows and in several publications. The support prompted then-President Bill Clinton to commute her sentence in December 2000, after having served 6.5 years in prison. Today, Pradia is a wife, mother, public speaker, advocate, consultant and author of “Poster Child.” She has worked with senior officials at The White House, the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Members of Congress, and has led trainings for federal and state probation organizations across the country.
This year’s event, as well as Pradia’s presentation, “Reimagining Criminal Justice: Changing the Narrative,” will be completely virtual due to the ongoing coronavirus global pandemic. Registration is required.
Career and Life Wisdom: Insights from Culverhouse Alumni Authors
Wednesday, Feb. 16 | 4-6 p.m. | 0015 Hewson Hall
As part of its DEI Speaker Series, three Culverhouse alumni will share insights from books they recently authored. Their books contain wisdom for career and life success, and how to effectively pass on that success to future generations. Participants will be Carice Anderson, author of “Intelligence Isn’t Enough”; Kenneth Kelly, author of “Prepared Before I Let Go”; Ralph Stokes, author of “One of the First.” Dr. Alice Holloway will moderate the discussion. Pre-reception will be 4-4:30 p.m., followed by the panel discussion from 4:30-5:30 p.m., and post-reception from 5:30-6 p.m.
The Black History Month Alumni Speaker Series allows students to hear from prominent Black alumni who are business leaders in a variety of fields. This series focuses on the careers of the speakers and how they achieved success. The series also will expose students to minority professionals so that they may gain a greater appreciation for diversity in the workplace. For more information about the speakers, visit the Culverhouse website.
Activating the Syllabus Statement: Inclusive Teaching Workshop
Friday, Feb. 18 | 12:30-2 p.m. | Virtual
Dr. Kimberly Blitch, assistant professor in the UA Department of Human Development and Family Studies, will present this workshop hosted by the College of Human Environmental Sciences Committee on Diversity and Inclusivity. Registration is required to attend.
Social Justice Movie Series: “Agents of Change: The Longest Student Strike in History” Virtual Screening
Friday, Feb. 18 | 7 p.m. | Virtual
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
The Intercultural Diversity Center presents “Agents of Change: The Longest Student Strike in History.” Participants will examine the racial conditions on college campuses across the United States in the late 1960s, focusing on student demands at two seminal protests: San Francisco State in 1968 and Cornell University in 1969. Many of the same demands for curricular changes, increased minority student recruitment, and the hiring of minority faculty are surfacing in campus protests today, revealing the intersections America continues to face. Told through the voices of past student activists and organizers, the documentary includes rich archival footage, compelling interviews, and a dynamic soundtrack. Registration is required. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
10th Annual Tuscaloosa Africana Film Festival
From Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. until Feb. 20 at 10 p.m. | Virtual
Six acclaimed movies from the African continent and the broader African Diaspora will be screened at the festival. Participants can join via their own devices by logging on any time during the 30-hour period from 2 p.m. Feb. 19 until 10 p.m. Feb. 20. The film festival is presented by the Edward A. Ulzen Memorial Foundation and Afram South Inc., two nonprofit organizations that support education and public health initiatives in Ghana, West Africa, and West Alabama, respectively. The event is co-sponsored by the UA College of Community Health Sciences and the Tuscaloosa Sister Cities Commission. Tuscaloosa is a sister city of Sunyani-Techiman in Ghana.
Tickets for the film festival are $10 for general admission and are available online.
Films:
“Quilombo,” a classic 1984 drama about Africans enslaved in Brazil who revolt in 1650 and escape from their sugar plantation to the jungle, where they join other runaways. The slaves carve out a place to live, repelling attempts by their Portuguese masters to recapture them.
“100 Years from Mississippi,” a film about the life of Mamie Lang Kirkland that was released in 2021. Kirkland, a 111-year-old African American woman, survived racial terrorism, segregation, bigotry and bias but continues to have hope, joy and love of life, and the certainty that people can do better. Kirkland left Mississippi when she was 11 years old and while she vowed never to return, she allows her youngest child, filmmaker Tarabu Betserai Kirkland, to take her back to Ellisville. In the film, she tells her story, honors those who succumbed to the terror of racial violence, and gives testimony to the courage and hope epitomized by many of her generation.
“Mrs F.” The movie’s namesake lives in Makoko, the largest slum on the water in Nigeria, and she sets out to unite women by highlighting gender inequality. Her hope is to lead women out of oppression, convince them to speak up and encourage them to connect. But first Mrs. F. must first overcome the gatekeepers of patriarchy and religion.
“Appreciation,” a 2019 film that follows an African pastor in London as she experiences a life-changing event and begins to question her beliefs
“Back of the Moon,” the 2021 film about a powerful gang leader in a Johannesburg, South African, ghetto who decides to fight for his home rather than face police relocation. But then fate thrusts a beautiful singer, whom he has loved from a distance, into his orbit.
“A Taste of our Land,” is a debut feature from Rwandan director Yuhi Amuli set in an unnamed African country against the backdrop of rising Chinese influence on the continent. The film won Best Feature at the 2020 African Movie Academy Awards and Best First Feature Narrative at the 2020 PanAfrican Film Festival.
For more information about the Tuscaloosa Africana Film Festival, contact Bill Foster at 334-322-0824 or Thad Ulzen at 205-561-7000.
One Little Girl: Denise McNair and the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing Exhibition
Monday, Feb. 21 – Saturday, March 19 | Noon- 5 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion presents the inaugural viewing of One Little Girl: Denise McNair and the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing, an exhibit specially curated by the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Diversity Speaker Series: Ashley M. Jones Virtual Keynote
This program has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 1 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Virtual
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will host State of Alabama Poet Laureate Ashley M. Jones for a special presentation to the UA community. Jones is the Poet Laureate of the State of Alabama (2022-2026). She holds an MFA in Poetry from Florida International University, and she is the author of Magic City Gospel (Hub City Press 2017), dark thing (Pleiades Press 2019), and REPARATIONS NOW! (Hub City Press 2021). Her poetry has earned several awards, including the Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers Award, the Silver Medal in the Independent Publishers Book Awards, the Lena-Miles Wever Todd Prize for Poetry, a Literature Fellowship from the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the Lucille Clifton Poetry Prize, and the Lucille Clifton Legacy Award. She was a finalist for the Ruth Lily Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship in 2020. Her poems and essays appear in or are forthcoming at CNN, POETRY, The Oxford American, Origins Journal, The Quarry by Split This Rock, Obsidian, and many others. She co-directs PEN Birmingham, and she is the founding director of the Magic City Poetry Festival. She teaches in the Creative Writing Department of the Alabama School of Fine Arts, and she is part of the Core Faculty of the Converse College Low Residency MFA Program. She recently served as a guest editor for Poetry Magazine. Registration is required. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
State of the Black Union Masquerade Scholarship Ball
Wednesday, Feb. 23 | Doors open at 6:30 p.m. | Student Center Ballroom
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
The Black Student Union will host its annual State of the Black Union addressing the current state of the Black community, current issues and ways of moving forward. The theme will be a masquerade and consists of a keynote speaker, Tara Mock, with addresses from prominent student leaders, past BSU alumni, and entertainment. For more information, contact the Black Student Union at theblackstudentunionua@gmail.com.
EveryWoman Book Club: ‘The Other Black Girl’
Thursday, Feb. 24 | noon- 1 p.m. | Zoom
EveryWoman Book Club has existed for over 15 years. It emphasizes works written by and about women. This month the group will be discussing “The Other Black Girl” by Zakiya Dalila Harris. The book is a social satire that examines racism, microaggression and tokenism The club is open to faculty, staff, community members and graduate students. Join the discussion. Those interested can join the book club by emailing Elizabeth Lester at elester1@ua.edu.
Coming in March
‘Hattie Mae’s Jook Joint’
Friday, March 4 | 6:30 p.m. | Student Center Theatre
Follow the movement of a jook joint and its people from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in 1938 to St. Louis, Missouri, in 2018 in this new musical that centers and celebrates the role of Black communal spaces over time. “Hattie Mae’s Jook Joint” was conceived by Alvon Reed, UA assistant professor of musical theatre. Support for the staged reading of “Hattie Mae’s Jook Joint” has been made possible through a collaboration with the Black Student Union at The University of Alabama and by a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts. The event is free and open to the public.