Schools
Quinnipiac University to host Black History Month activities
The Black History Month activities are designed to bring the community together to learn and celebrate.
HAMDEN - Quinnipiac University will recognize the rich history and diverse contributions of the Black American community with Black History Month activities designed to bring the community together to learn and celebrate.
"We celebrate Black history during February, but it is important for us to reflect on the accomplishments and contributions of Black Americans throughout the year,” said Don Sawyer, vice president for equity, inclusion and leadership development. “Black History is American history and important to the founding, growth and development of our nation."
Raymond Two Hawks Watson, a lawyer, community activist and the Founder and CEO of the Providence Cultural Equity Initiative (PCEI), will deliver the MLK Dream Week Keynote Lecture at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 6. The event will take place in the Mount Carmel Auditorium, 275 Mount Carmel Ave.
Watson will share about the intersection of his Black heritage and Indigenous culture, the mission behind PCEI, and the importance of cultural authenticity.
On Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 1 p.m., QU’s Department of Cultural and Global Engagement (DCGE) will host the inclusive conversation “Exploring Class and Classism.” The discussion will take place in Room 250 of the Communications, Computing and Engineering building and will honor the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s fight for class before his assassination. In 1968, he sought to lead the Poor People’s Campaign to push forward solutions to classism in America.
On Thursday, Feb. 9, there will be a Black History Month Teach-In from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Carl Hansen Student Center Piazza. The Black History Month Teach-In will center on the health and wellness of Black people and African Americans. Presentations will explore health disparities, racism in health care, historical contributions to the medical field, mental health, and the activism and initiatives created for Black communities to live well.
Those who missed the Department of Cultural and Global Engagement’s first inclusive conversation, “Exploring Class and Classism,” will get another chance to hear it at noon on Friday, Feb. 10 in Room 120 of the Carl Hansen Student Center.
Black History Month activities will continue on Tuesday, Feb. 21 with the discussion “Surviving Policing: The Impact on Officers and Civilians.” As a part of the university’s series of Critical Conversations, a panel will discuss the impacts of policing on law enforcement officers and the community. Experts will discuss community activism, trauma-informed practices, mental health, police training and collaborative ways to move forward.
Black History Month was first observed as "Negro History Week" in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. The week was expanded to a month-long observance in 1976 to recognize and celebrate the contributions and achievements of African Americans throughout U.S. history.
