Monmouth College is marking Black History Month with a series of film discussions, food and fellowship. The theme of this year’s Black History Month events is a saying attributed to Greek poet Dinos Christianopoulos: “They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds.”
On February 9, the documentary “Hello, Privilege? It’s Me, Chelsea,” which is currently streaming on Netflix, will be discussed. On February 16, “Selma”, available on Amazon Prime, will be the topic of discussion. “If you do not have one of the two streaming services, no worries,” said Regina Johnson, director of the Champion Miller Center. “You are welcome to come hang out with any Champion Miller Center intern to watch. The team hopes to have as many new faces in the center as possible.”
The weekend of February 18-19 packed with events marking the observance. On February 18, the College’s Men of Distinction group will host its fourth annual Men of Color Retreat, along with Cornell College and the Associated Colleges of the Midwest’s Office of Inclusion Initiatives. The retreat will feature breakout sessions with Hemie Collier, senior diversity officer and director of intercultural life at Cornell; Allen Linton II, director of diversity initiatives for the ACM; and Bryant Smith of Smith Consulting and Networking, a comprehensive training, development and consulting firm.
On February 18, John Stanford, class of ’18, will return to Monmouth College as the featured performer for “Speakeasy Night,” from 7-10 p.m. This evening of entertainment and music will be held in The Underground in Grier Hall. “His soulful voice is second to none,” said Johnson of Stanford, who was an active member of Umoja and Colorful Voices of Praise during his undergraduate years.
On February 19, the center will be the site for “Soul Food Sunday” from 1-4 p.m., featuring food, fun and fellowship.
There is an ongoing discussion and reflection on the book Dare to Lead by Brene Browns and starting on Ash Wednesday (February 22), 40 days of social justice devotionals will be featured at the Champion Miller Center. For more information on the discussion times, or any of the College’s other Black History Month events, email Johnson at rjohnson@monmouthcollege.edu.
