It’s Black History Month, and several clubs, organizations and offices at the College of Charleston are holding events celebrating the history and culture of African Americans.
Events range from artistic — such as poetry readings – to introspective, including a talk on black masculinity. Most of the events are free, but some also require tickets.
Events include:
Consuela Francis Emerging Scholar Lecture
Free, 6 p.m. Feb. 20 at Alumni Memorial Hall
Vanessa Agard-Jones, an assistant professor of anthropology at Columbia University, presents “After the End of the World: A Black Feminist Analytic for the Anthropocene” as part of the College’s Consuela Francis Emerging Scholar Lecture series. The event is co-sponsored by the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, the African American Studies program, and the departments of Sociology and Anthropology, Environmental and Sustainability Studies, French, Francophone and Italian Studies; Latin American and Caribbean Studies; and Women’s and Gender Studies.
Screening of Riva Viva!
Free, 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at Maybank Hall
The African Studies program screens the 2010 Congolese crime thriller Viva Riva! As part of its regular film series.
‘Tearing Hatred From the Sky’: A Discussion With Bree Newsome
Free, 7 p.m. Feb. 22 at Sottile Theatre
Newsome, who made national headlines when she scaled the flagpole in front of the State House on June 27, 2015, talks about her activism that day in a discussion titled “Tearing Hatred from the Sky.” Newsome has done similar discussions at college campuses around the country. The event is sponsored by the offices of Student Life and Multicultural Student Programs and Services.
Avery Research Center African Art Exhibition Opening Reception
Free, 5:30 p.m. Feb. 24 on the third floor of the Addlestone Library
The Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, the College of Charleston Libraries and the Friends of the Library will display the African art collection of John Dupree. Dupree spent almost three years from 1972 to 1975, in Zaire, now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as a member of a small team with the Federal Aviation Administration and acquired more than 150 rare artifacts ranging from wood sculptures, ivory carvings ritual masks and textiles. The Avery Research Center received the bulk of his collection in 2014 and will exhibit a wide variety of it’s contents on the Third Floor of Addlestone Library from February 25, 2017 through December 1, 2017.
The Mask You Live In Screening and Discussion
Free, 10 a.m. Feb. 25 in the Stern Center Ballroom
Participants will watch Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s documentary on what it means to be male in American society, followed by a workshop led by CofC professors Anthony Greene and Kendall Deas as well as Dante Pelzer, a doctoral student at Florida State University. Lunch is provided and male students are strongly encouraged to attend.
Rhapsody in Black
Open to students, 5 p.m. Feb. 26 at the TD Arena Hospitality Suite
Presented by the Black Student Union, Rhapsody in Black is a yearly expression of African American culture through music, dance and spoken word. The formal event is this hosted by 2017 homecoming queen and radio personality Alexis Armour.
