This story will be updated throughout the month.
February is Black History Month, a time dedicated to highlighting the history, achievements and contributions of Black, African and African American people in the United States. In celebration, Michigan State University will host events both online and on campus throughout the month.
One event is the 22nd annual Dr. William G. Anderson Slavery to Freedom lecture series hosted by the College of Osteopathic Medicine. This online series will feature three prominent guest speakers, each representing different disciplines. The series will bring together a wide audience of students, faculty, local community members and legislators to help spread conversations about bolstering Black futures.
Another event will be the Office of K-12 Outreach's Black History Month Sankofa Project from the College of Education. This online series is free and open to the public. This event will highlight the historical and cultural link between the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Power Movement and the Black Lives Matter of Michigan Movement.
In addition to Black History Month events, the Office of K-12 Outreach has provided teaching resources for educators. These resources include educational content from public channels covering topics from Black cowboys to the history of Black architecture in Detroit.
Black History Month campus events
All events are in Eastern Time.
Tuesday, Feb. 1
7 p.m. – Afrolatinidad
The Office of Cultural and Academic Transitions kicks off Black History Month with Afrolatinidad. The event is in-person in Wilson Hall in the CRU Room. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and programming begins at 7 p.m. For more information visit the OCAT events page.
Thursday, Feb. 3
5 p.m. – Slavery to Freedom Lecture 1: Yusef Salaam VIEW RECORDING
The first of three lectures, hosted by the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, will feature speaker Yusef Salaam. Salaam is a member of the Exonerated Five, a group of five Black men in New York who were arrested as teenagers and served a sentence for a crime they did not commit. Salaam is also known for his work as a motivational speaker, life coach and New York Times best-selling author. This event will be held online. Register for the event via Zoom or for more information visit the Slavery to Freedom webpage.
Saturday, Feb. 5
1 p.m. – Black History Month Sankofa Project Session I: Civil Rights Movement
The MSU Office of K-12 Outreach will be hosting the first session of its Black History Month Sankofa Project. The topic for this session is the Civil Rights Movement and will feature panelists William Cross, professor emeritus of psychology and urban education at CUNY, Kalvin DaRonne Harvell, professor of sociology at Henry Ford College, Kevin Brooks,academic specialist for diversity and civic engagement for MSU's Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, and Bernard Duffy, professor of communications studies at CalPoly. This event will be held online via zoom. Register for the Sankofa Project Session I or for more information download the flyer.
4 p.m. – BSA and UAB Presents: Black Empowerment Festival
The Black Students' Alliance and the University Activities Board will be hosting the third annual Black Empowerment Festival. The event will feature breakout activities, keynote speakers, free food and free T-shirts, while supplies last. This event will be held in the second-floor ballroom and third-floor meeting rooms of the MSU Union. Visit the OCAT events page for more information.
Sunday, Feb. 6
3 p.m. - Music Honoring Black history Month with the MSU Wind Symphony VIEW RECORDING
Featuring renowned composers Kevin Day and Omar Thomas as well as Detroit's own Damien Crutcher, the Michigan State University Wind Symphony kicks off its burgeoning partnership with the Detroit School of Arts for a special performance at DSA that honors Black composers. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets for the in-person performance are sold out but thanks to the support of Detroit Public Television, the event will be digitally broadcast. Visit the MSU College of Music YouTube channel to watch the concert online. For more information visit the webpage.
Monday, Feb. 7
7 p.m. - WKAR and MSU Libraries present the film Sankofa followed by a moderated panel discussion
Taking viewers on a journey back in time, SANKOFA (1993)– written and directed by Ethiopian-born filmmaker Haile Gerima – tells the story of an African American fashion model named Mona who goes on a spiritual journey of resistance to confront her past. Following the film, join an online discussion with panelists Erik Ponder, librarian of MSU Libraries-African Studies, Haile Gerima, filmmaker, Dr. Tamara Hamilton-Wray, associate professor of Africana Film Studies in the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, and Nakia Parker, assistant professor in the History Department. Registration is required for this virtual event. Visit WKAR for more information.
9 p.m. - WKAR and the College of Social Science present an Evening with Rep. James E. Clyburn
Majority Whip James E. Clyburn joined former Michigan Gov. Jim Blanchard for a candid and engaging conversation about growing up in the south, his work to advance civil rights and his decades-long career in Congress. Recorded at Wharton Center for Performing Arts in Nov. 2021. This event will be rebroadcast as a special presentation on PBS WKAR.
Friday, Feb. 11
Noon. - MSU Libraries pop-up event honoring Lansing Black lesbian poet Terri Jewell
Michigan State University Libraries Special Collection has created a pop-up display honoring poet and activist Terri Jewell. Jewell lived most of her life in Lansing, and her work was given to special collections after she passed away in 1995. Much of her work reflects her connection to the Black community, LGBTQ community and feminist community in Lansing. This event will also have a virtual component, which will begin on Friday, Feb. 11 at 3:30 p.m. Register for the online portion of the event or to learn more information about the event visit the MSU Libraries webpage.
Saturday, Feb. 12
1 p.m. – Black History Month Sankofa Project Special Session: Changing the Narrative Through Positive Community Policing
This special session of the Black History Month Sankofa Project will discuss how positive community policing can prevent Black people being killed by police. The panelist for this event includes Marlon Lynch, MSU vice president for public safety and chief of police, and Daryl Green, MSUDPPS chief of staff. This event will be held virtually via zoom. Register for the Sankofa Project Special Session or for more information download the flyer.
3 p.m. – Black History Month Sankofa Project Session II: Black Power Movement
For the second session of the Black History Month Sankofa Project, panelist William Cross, professor emeritus of psychology and urban education at CUNY, Lee June, professor in MSU's Honors College, and author Louis Napoleon will be discussing the Black Power Movement. This event will be held virtually via zoom. Register for the Sankofa Project Session II or for more information download the flyer.
Monday, Feb. 14
9 p.m. - PBS WKAR Premiere: Through the Banks of the Red Cedar
In 1963, Michigan State Head Coach Duffy Daugherty and 23 African American young men seized the opportunity of a lifetime. The daughter of Minnesota Vikings football legend Gene Washington deepens her connection to her father as she uncovers how the first fully integrated college football team in America changed the game forever. Maya, Gene’s youngest daughter, traces her father's journey from the segregated South to the North, and explores the impact of this legacy on the present generation. Watch the 55-minute documentary on WKAR TV Ch. 23 or online on the WKAR website.
12:15 p.m. - Black Lives and The Constitution
MSU Law Dean Linda Sheryl Green will speak with Professor Devon Carbado of UCLA Law School on “Black Lives and the Constitution.” This online event will examine the limitations on Black citizenship embedded in American constitutional doctrine and the changes that would chart a path to equal citizenship for Blacks in America. As an award-winning teacher, recognized scholar and administrator, Professor Carbado writes in the areas of employment discrimination, criminal procedure, implicit bias and constitutional law. Register for the event via Zoom, or learn more information about Dean Greene and Professor Carbado.
Thursday, Feb. 17
5 p.m. – Slavery to Freedom Lecture 2: Brandan Odums
The second lecture in the Slavery to Freedom series will feature Brandan “BMike” Odums. Odums is a visual artist based in New Orleans and will discuss his approach to sparking transnational conversations about the intersection of art and resistance to oppression through public artworks, programs and exhibitions. This event will be held online. Register for the event via Zoom or for more information visit the Slavery to Freedom webpage.
Friday, Feb. 18
1 p.m. – Deputy Director of Secret Service Faron Paramore Ask-Me-Anything discussion
Deputy Director of the United States Secret Service and Michigan State alumni, Faron Paramore, will be participating in Ask-Me-Anything style online discussion. Deputy Director Paramore will be answering all of your questions related to being a student at MSU, a career in federal law enforcement and how he worked his way up to working at the federal level. Register for the event via Zoom, or for more information about Deputy Director Paramore visit the United States Secret Service webpage.
Saturday, Feb. 19
5 p.m. – Sharing Every Voice: WKAR Special
WKAR will be celebrating Black History Month with a half-hour special showcasing voices from the Black community. This event will feature spoken word from hip-hop artist and Flint Michigan native Mama Sol, a discussion led by CEO of Michigan Public Health Institution Dr. Renee Canady, about why Black infants are twice as likely as White infants to die before their first birthday, and will hear Witness 43 to the MLK Assassination and Lansing resident, Mary Ellen Norwood-Ford, recount that fateful day in history. Steam the event on WKAR-HD 23.1, or learn more on WKAR’s website.
Monday, Feb. 21
Noon – College of Veterinary Medicine Black History Month Multigenerational panel
Join the College of Veterinary Medicine DVM program students, staff, faculty and alumni in a virtual discussion as they share their experiences within one of the most homogenous professions in the country. The panelist include Dr. Stephen Carey, associate professor and associate chairperson of MSU Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Dr. Timbrala Marshall, director of equity, inclusion and diversity at VCA Animal Hospital, Dr. Veronica Whiteside, scientific services veterinarian at Royal Canin US, and Dr. Kamaria Catalan, president of the Cincinnati Veterinary Medical Association Foundation. Register for the event via Zoom, or learn more information Dr. Carey, Dr. Marshall, Dr. Whiteside and Dr. Catalan.
Tuesday, Feb. 22
3 p.m. – Black LGBTQIA2S+ Zine Making Event
In observance of Black History Month, the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center is organizing a zine making event to highlight the experiences of the Black LGBTQIA2S+ community. The event will take place in person in the Student Services Building room 110 or participants can submit a zine online.
Thursday, Feb. 24
5 p.m. – Slavery to Freedom Lecture 3: LaTosha Brown
The final lecture in the Slavery to Freedom series will feature community organizer and political strategist LaTosha Brown. Brown is the co-founder of the Black Votes Matter Fund and the BVM Capacity Building Institute. During her lecture, Brown will discuss her work to ensure that all human beings have access to basic human rights and how she utilized grassroots organizing to help turn Georgia blue in 2020. This event will be held online. Register for the event via Zoom or for more information visit the Slavery to Freedom webpage.
Saturday, Feb. 26
3 p.m. – Black History Month Sankofa Project Session III: Current/Future Guard
The final session in the Black History Month Sankofa Project will feature panelist Jennifer Cobbina-Dungy, associate professor of criminal justice at MSU, Raven Jones Stanbrough, assistant professor of teacher education at MSU, and Lisa A. Reeves, chief of staff for the MSU College of Education. This group will discuss ways to guard current and future goals for pushing Black people forward. This event will be held virtually via zoom. Register for the Sankofa Session III or for more information download the flyer.