Black History Month is a time where hard work and perseverance along with blood, sweat, and tears are recognized and celebrated within American history.
Saint Xavier University has upheld the tradition of celebrating Black History Month through a series of educational and social events both on campus and expanding into the Chicagoland area.
The list of events includes educational discussions, field trips, black tie events, and more.
“I usually look forward to the public as a whole coming together to celebrate the progress of African-Americans in America. Through this, I learn new facts about prominent figures and game-changing events of the Civil Rights Movement. I think it’s very important to pay homage to those who came before us,” said Shawntha Penro, a senior at Saint Xavier.
On February 2 the opening reception for the celebratory month took place in the Butler Reception Hall at 11 am.
A discussion of African-American Heritage took place on the 4 in the student lounge at noon.
This session took in-depth looks into topics such as popular radical groups and individuals like Martin Luther King Jr. as well as Malcolm X.
On the 5, the discussion “What is Black Theology and Why Do We Need It?” will take place in the Butler Reception Hall at 6:30pm.
This event will mark the end of the first week of activities.
The second week of events, beginning February 17, there will be a showing of “Evolution of a Criminal” in McGuire Hall at 7pm.
On a musical spectrum, an event examining the evolution of hip-hop will take place in the Butler Reception Hall at 5:00pm on February 18th.
On the 19, students can participate in a Spoken Word and open-mic jam session. Those who wish to participate can sign up by contacting whitfield.b01@mymail.sxu.edu.
The final week of Black HistoryMonth will include a trip to the DuSable Museum on Saturday, February 21st. The bus will depart from Saint Xavier at 11:30am.
On the 24, a 7 pm showing of Fruitvale Station will take place in McGuire Hall. On the final day of celebration, The African-American Achievement Awards will recognize faculty, staff, and students within the African-American Community at Saint Xavier University.
Immediately after, a Black Tie Affair in the Butler Reception Room from 5 pm to 7 pm will conclude with food and fellowship.
Nicole Gordon
News Correspondent