WKU News

WKU will kick off Black History Month 2021 on Thursday (Jan. 28) with a celebration of the significance of Black History Month nationwide and its ever-present importance at WKU.

The Black History Month Opening Celebration will be held from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Harbaugh Club at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium. Keynote speakers will be Tracy Scott, a WKU senior from Louisville, and Carlos Bailey, Bowling Green attorney and City Commissioner. The event is sponsored by the Black History Month Planning Committee and the Black Student Alliance.

Black History Month activities, led by WKU’s Cynthia and George Nichols III Intercultural Student Engagement Center in partnership with campus and community organizations, will continue through February.

Here is a list of events:

February 2, 2021
Go Farther: Virtual Vision Board Workshop

• 4 p.m.
• Register at bit.ly/gofarther21
• Join us for a low-stress, high-reward virtual vison board workshop to focus in on your academic interests and professional goals! Study abroad may be a “hack” toward that!
• Sponsored by the Intercultural Student Engagement Center & Office of Scholar Development

February 3, 2021
Black History Month Grocery Bingo

• Preston Center
• 6 p.m.
• Register at https://bit.ly/2Y3WbhC
• Sponsored by Campus Recreation & Wellness

February 5, 2021
Pink Goes Red

• Visit @epsilonzeta_akas on Instagram for more information
• 6:08 p.m.
• Join Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. as they use yoga to celebrate heart health awareness!
• Sponsored by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 

February 5, 2021
ForTheCulture Lock-In

• DSU 2041
• 9 p.m.
• Join us for a laid-back night of #ForTheCulure activities, fun and fellowship at our annual lock-in. Wear your favorite ‘90s attire!
• Sponsored by the Intercultural Student Engagement Center 

February 9, 2021
Emotionally Scarred

• DSU 3023
• 7 p.m.
• Has the pandemic had you anxious lately? Join the Black Student Alliance as they discuss the importance of mental health in the African American community.
• Sponsored by Black Student Alliance

February 10, 2021
The Hearts We Beat: Black Feminist Freedom in the Hold of Slavery: Jasmine Syedullah

• Via Zoom
• 11 a.m.
• “Drawing on black feminist practices, this talk extends ideas of freedom beyond binaries of resistance and reticence, beyond oppositional relationships of being either fugitive or free to consider what nonbinary imaginations of freedom were born of those who chose to inhabit the hold of slavery otherwise. What do they teach us about the bounds of abolition?”
• Sponsored by WKU Gender & Women Studies & Berea College

February 11, 2021
Black Love Ain’t Real?

• Are you tired of hearing that all black couples are unhappy or all relationships end in divorce? Join a dynamic panel as we delve into black love and relationships.
• Sponsored by Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

February 16, 2021
The “Wealth of the Black Family” – Black Wall Street Burning

• DSU Niteclass 
• 6 p.m.
• To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, we will screen the film “Black Wall Street Burning.” It tells of the worst act of American terrorism and racism in American history. Following the film, Reverend Dr. Robert Turner, the pastor of Mt. Vernon AME Church (the last standing structure from the massacre), will lead a discussion on what the area exists as today.
• Sponsored by Intercultural Student Engagement Center

February 17, 2021
The “Wealth of the Black Family” – Tracing your Roots

• DSU 2123 
• 7 p.m.
• Do you know where you really come from? Join us as we trace back your lineage to African roots. You will have the chance to read about your hometown and place of origin and connect it to African diaspora and post Middle Passage History.
• Sponsored by the Association for the Study of African Life & History, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

February 17, 2021
Ain’t I a Woman by Core Ensemble

• Zoom: 995 7522 0966
• 7 p.m.
• To celebrate Black History Month, the Department of History and African American Studies are hosting a performance of Ain’t I a Woman by Core Ensemble. This performance tells the stories of Zora Neale Hurston, Sojourner Truth, Clementine Hunter and Fannie Lou Hamer, four African American women who helped to shape history.
• Sponsored by the Department of History and African American Studies

February 18, 2021
Coded Bias

• Zoom: 988 5283 3827
• 4 p.m.
• Coded Bias "explores how machine-learning algorithms can perpetuate society’s existing class-, race- and gender-based inequities" (New York Times). This event will be a live, virtual discussion with its director, Shalini Kantayya. A link for a watch party to view the film will be provided in advance.
• Sponsored by the Department of Gender & Women Studies and the Department of English

February 18, 2021
The “Wealth of the Black Family” – Political Power Panel for Reparations and Reform

• DSU 3024
• 6:30 p.m.
• A panel discussion on what African Americans voters should expect if anything for their vote. Panelists include Dr. Saundra Ardrey, Dr. Lacretia Dye.
• Sponsored by Barrett Wright Ministries

February 19, 2021
“My Black is Beautiful Sippin’ Social”

• DSU Niteclass
• 6 p.m.
• This is an exclusive event for women of color on campus! Grab your favorite pajamas and eye mask for this conversation on the importance of African American women in our society. We will discuss how being a black woman at a PWI and how to defy stereotypes.
• Sponsored by the Sister Act Mentoring Program and Black Women of Western

February 19-20, 2021
UnMuted: Black Male Edition

• DSU 2123 and Knicely Conference Center
• 6 p.m. and 11 a.m.
• The Black Male Leadership Conference will serve to educate, unite and engage young black men. There will be an emphasis placed on personal development, professional development, and leadership throughout the conference.
• Sponsored by Why Knot Us Black Male Initiative & Building Men of Worth

February 22, 2021
Scrapbooking a journey: a look at black history through photos and spoken word

• DSU 3rd floor
• 7 p.m.
• Students will get to choose a period or historical era in black history to display through photography. After photos are taken and submitted, they will be printed to be shown the night of the event. Spoken word artists will have a chance to share their words at this event.
• Sponsored by the Intercultural Student Engagement Center and the Association for the Study of African Life & History.

February 23, 2021
Walk a Mile in My Shoes

• DSU 2123-2124
• 6 p.m.
• Walk a Mile In My Shoes is an interactive panel discussion that will journey the different adversities in today's society. We will not only discuss being aware of these issues but how to persevere through them.
• Sponsored by the Intercultural Student Engagement Center and the Department of Communication

February 26, 2021
Maskerade

• Knicely Conference Center
• 6 p.m.
• Get your costumes ready and join us for a networking experience. Come out to fellowship with your classmates and celebrate black culture on the Hill! Tickets are limited and can be purchased for $5.
• Sponsored by the Intercultural Student Engagement Center and the National Pan-Hellenic Council

February 28, 2021
Black History Month Soul Food Luncheon

• DSU 3005
• 3 p.m.
• With soul food’s significant history in the African American culture the ISEC will host a luncheon featuring soul food cuisine. Pre-registration is required.
• Sponsored by the Intercultural Student Engagement Center

Other events

• Throughout the month, students will share their experiences as a black student on campus via social media! Be sure to follow @wkuisec on all social media platforms to make sure you do not miss out!
• Tune in to our Facebook Live each Sunday for our “Decades of Alumni” series.
• Stop by the ISEC Art Gallery in DSU 2041 throughout the month to view our “Signs of Change” gallery. Sponsored by the Department of Art.

For information, contact the Intercultural Student Engagement Center (ISEC) at (270) 745-5066 or visit https://www.wku.edu/isec/.