Source: The Office Of Inclusive Excellence
During February, the Office Of Inclusive Excellence and Black Student Union (BSU) at Saint Xavier University will host several events to celebrate Black History Month.
In the diner, there will be live music and poetry jam sessions every Thursday, from 12 P.M. to 3 P.M. SXU alumni Tracy Baker will be playing with The Master Collection, doing jazzy renditions of Dua Lipa’s “Levitating”, “Superstitious” by Stevie Wonder, and some Michael Jackson songs.
There will also be poetry readings from Sunshine Lombre, a dancer and poet based in Chicago.
Also in the diner, Country House will be serving a variety of culturally inspired meals. These meals will consist of Southern staples such as fried chicken, cornbread, and collard greens, as well as African meals like doro wat and injera bread. They’ve already served soul food meals including fried chicken with mac n cheese, and Jamaican jerk chicken.
Up until Feb 23, the Office Of Inclusivity will be taking submissions for a Black History artwork contest. The theme of the contest is “the best of black culture”, with the contest being curated by Dr. Imelda Macias and Professor Nathan Peck. The contest is open to their entire SXU community.
According to the artwork description on The Den, the pieces submitted must exemplify “what you perceive to be the best characteristics of Black culture whether it be specific to one country/people, or to all African countries/people in general”.
For those who want to enter the contest, they must email their entry to peck@sxu.edu, and cc macias@sxu.edu. Entrants must also include their first and last name, student or employee ID, and email address, along with the title of their piece, a description of the work, and a bit about themselves. “The Best Of Black Culture Submission” must be included in the subject line.
When submitted, pieces should be in JPG format, with the images sizes at approximately 8×10 at 144ppi 1152px by 1449px. Each file name should have the entrants first initial, last name, and be numbered 1-3.
On Feb 24, there will be a trip to the DuSable Black History Museum And Education Center from 9 A.M. to 12 P.M. The museum includes exhibits that touch on Civil Rights history, racial tensions in Chicago, and how black people served in WW1 and II. Students will depart from the Warde Academic Center, and the trip will be free for those who attend.
In the Robert and Rita Mary Stump Library, there is a selection of books on display about black history. Some of the picks included are The Tradition by Jericho Brown, Becoming by Michelle Obama, The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, and Walking On Cowrie Shells by Nana Nkweti.
The library also includes a variety of films made by and starring black people on DVD, such as Moonlight, Symbiopsychotaxiplasm, Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse, and Get Out.
BSU will also be hosting its annual fashion show on Feb 27 where students will show off their unique style and have an opportunity to celebrate one another.
The show will take place in McGuire Hall, and the categories will include denim, all-black, a night out, family reunion, and separate categories for both the male and female models in the show.
The Black History Month celebrations will end on Mar 1 with the 10th Annual African-American Achievement Awards. This event will celebrate the contributions and achievements of black students, staff, and faculty.
Those attending the award ceremony are encouraged to “dress in all-black attire with their favorite sneakers!”. The winners of the Black History artwork contest will have their work unveiled during the ceremony as well.
For those who want to stay up to date with the celebrations happening throughout the month, they can follow the Office Of Inclusive Excellence on The Den.
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