University to celebrate Black History Month with variety of events

Ohio University’s 2020 Black History Month celebration in February will feature more than 25 events that recognize the contributions, accomplishments and history of black people around the world. This year’s national theme is “African Americans and The Vote.” 

The theme marks the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment (women receiving the right to vote in the U.S.) and the culmination of the women’s suffrage movement. The year 2020 also marks the sesquicentennial of the Fifteenth Amendment (1870), giving black men the right to vote after the Civil War.

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History said the 2020 theme speaks to the ongoing struggle of both black men and black women for the right to vote.

Some of the events celebrating Black History Month include:

• Bob Marley Day will take place all day on Thursday, Feb. 6, in the Multicultural Center in Baker University Center. There will be displays about the late reggae singer’s life and his impact, global reach and legacy. There will also be Jamaican food starting at noon along with video clips that celebrate Marley’s vision and legacy. The event is sponsored by the OHIO Multicultural Center and the Caribbean Scholars Association.
   
• The First Black Lawyer in Athens Unveiling event will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at the Athens Middle School. The event will feature the unveiling of a portrait of Andrew Jackson Davison, the only practicing attorney in Athens in the 1870s. His portrait will be installed in Athens County Courtroom A next to a composite portrait of his attorney peers from 1876 that didn’t include him. Students from Athens Middle School formed a group called the Andrew Jackson Davison Club to coordinate this project with the help of their teachers, Angela Hall and Susan Matters. The community are welcome to attend the 6 p.m. ceremony at the school located at 51-55 W. State St. OHIO’s Division of Diversity and Inclusion is one of the co-sponsors for this community event.
   
• Haben Girma, the first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, will speak at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, in Walter Hall Rotunda. She is an equal rights advocate for people with disabilities. President Barack Obama named her a White House Champion of Change and she is also a past recipient of the Helen Keller Achievement Award and was named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Her best-selling book, “Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law,” was featured in the New York Times, Oprah Magazine, People, The Wall Street Journal, and the Today Show. The event is sponsored by The City of Athens, Ohio; The Division of Student Affairs; OHIO Multicultural Center; The Athens County Board of Developmental Board of Disabilities; Patton College of Education, College of Health Sciences and Professions. This event is being presented as part of Accessible OHIO (Feb. 16-22) which is being put on by Student Senate's Minority Affairs Commission.

The week also features numerous stage performances, panel discussions, meals and lectures that are open to the public.

Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Dr. Gigi Secuban invites everyone to support this year’s Ohio University Black History Month programming.
 
"While we use February as the designated month to commemorate African-American history, it should encourage us to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of people of color all year long," Dr. Secuban said. "Black History Month is about the lived experience of a group of people who have helped shape America, so it has great importance as we look to create a more inclusive future for all people."

Dr. Winsome Chunnu, director of OHIO’s Multicultural Center, said this quote from college professor and political commentator Melissa Harris-Perry sums up her own personal perspective on Black History Month: 

“February's celebration of black history is important because it reminds us that America's bitter racial legacy is not about name calling and hurt feelings; it is about structures of inequality codified in law and supported by government action.”

Dr. Chunnu said she is looking forward to attending many of this year’s Black History Month events in Athens.

“Similar to last year we have a long list of diverse programs scheduled,” Dr. Chunnu said. “Black History Month is for everyone to celebrate and we have many events on the calendar that everyone will enjoy.”

Visit OHIO’s Multicultural Programs and Center online for a complete list of Black History Month events.