Northern Michigan University will hold a series of events during Black History Month in February. The annual celebration, officially recognized in 1976 during the U.S. bicentennial, honors the contributions and sacrifices of African Americans who have helped shape the nation.
A summary of Northern events can be found on the NMU Hub. The kickoff activity is a Hot Chocolate Social with a topping bar from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1. A brief summary of remaining events follows (some locations are unavailable until participants register):
Wednesday, Feb. 7: Black History Month information table, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., middle lounge Jamrich Hall
Tuesday, Feb. 13, Black Love Day Bake Sale, 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb 20: More than Meets the Surface, 7-8 p.m. The Multicultural Student Nurses Association will hold a meeting to discuss Dr. Malone Mukwende's book, Mind the Gap, to bridge the misinformation and lack of information pertaining to minority patient populations.
Thursday, Feb 22: Drylongso (1998), directed by Cauleen Smith, 8:30-11 p.m. This film embeds an incisive look at racial injustice within a lovingly handmade buddy movie/murder mystery/romance. Alarmed by the rate at which the young Black men around her are dying, brash Oakland, Calif. art student Pica (Toby Smith) attempts to preserve their existence in Polaroid snapshots, along the way forging a friendship with a woman in an abusive relationship (April Barnett) and experiencing love, heartbreak and the everyday threat of violence. Capturing the vibrant community spirit of Oakland in the ‘90s, Smith “crafts both a rare cinematic celebration of Black female creativity and a moving elegy for a generation of lost African American men.”