Black History Month

February

History

National Black History Month has its origins in 1915, when historian and author Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. This organization is now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). Through this organization, Dr. Woodson initiated the first Negro History Week in February 1926. Dr. Woodson selected the week in February that included the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, two key figures in the history of Black Americans. In 1975, President Ford issued a Message on the Observance of Black History Week urging all Americans to "recognize the important contribution made to our nation's life and culture by black citizens." In 1976, ASALH expanded this commemoration of Black history in the United States from a week-long observance to Black History Month, which also has been known as African American History Month. In the same year, President Ford issued a Message on the Observance of Black History Month. In subsequent years, presidents continued to issue messages honoring Black History Month. 

Reference: Library of Congress

2023

STCC is proud to offer a number of thought-provoking events to honor our Black brothers and sisters and the contributions the Black community has made to our society.

Events at STCC

“Get into Good Trouble: Read a Banned Book”

February 1 - February 27
Ira H. Rubenzahl Student Learning Commons (B19), Second Floor

The Office of Multicultural Affairs and the STCC Library invite everyone to read a banned book by an African American author this February in honor of Black History Month. You can also stop by the library and check out the Periodic Table of Banned Books which will highlight African American authors, trailblazers, and pioneers.

"I Just Wanna Surf", Exhibit by Gabriella Angotti-Jones

February 1 - 28, 2023
Gallery Hours
Fine Arts Building (B28), Amy H. Carberry Gallery,

The Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery at Springfield Technical Community College presents the never-before-seen exhibition “I Just Wanna Surf” by California photographer Gabriella Angotti-Jones throughout February 2023, in celebration of Black History Month. More details and images can be found on the Amy H. Carberry Gallery Exhibitions page.

Black Resistance Movies That Matter: The Woman King

Monday, February 6
12:15 p.m.
Ira H. Rubenzahl Student Learning Commons (B19), Forum

Please join us for a showing of the film "The Woman King" as a part of the Movies That Matter Series. Movies that Matter is a movie series presented by the Office of Multicultural Affairs with the purpose to show movies that have impacted our culture or are about people, events, or ideas that have changed history. All are welcome!

Brilliant Button Making: Black History Month Edition

Wednesday, February 8
12:15 -1:30 p.m.
Ira H. Rubenzahl Student Learning Commons (B19), Library

The Office of Multicultural Affairs in collaboration with the STCC Library will be making buttons in honor of Black History Month. Come to the library and learn more about this month’s national theme of “Black Resistance” and have some fun making brilliantly creative signature buttons.

Black Resistance Movies That Matter: Black Panther

Monday, February 13
12:15 p.m.
Ira H. Rubenzahl Student Learning Commons (B19), Forum

Please join us for a showing of the film "Black Panther" as a part of the Movies That Matter Series. Movies that Matter is a movie series presented by the Office of Multicultural Affairs with the purpose to show movies that have impacted our culture or are about people, events, or ideas that have changed history. All are welcome!

Black Resistance Movies That Matter: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Monday, February 27
12:15 p.m.
Ira H. Rubenzahl Student Learning Commons (B19), Forum

Please join us for a showing of the film "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" as a part of the Movies That Matter Series. Movies that Matter is a movie series presented by the Office of Multicultural Affairs with the purpose to show movies that have impacted our culture or are about people, events, or ideas that have changed history. All are welcome!

Local Community Events

Boston Museum of Science Celebrates Black History Month

February 4-5
Boston Museum of Science

The Museum of Science kicks off the month with a special weekend event (Feb. 4-5) that includes featured speakers, family activities, performance groups, and community groups from the Boston area. Then, throughout the month, they willl continue spotlighting influential scientists and engineers as part of their Black History Month celebration.

Urban League of Greater Hartford: "A Legacy Revealed | A Glimpse of Hope" Black History Celebration

Thursday, February 9
6 - 8:30 p.m.
Mark Twain House and Museum, Hartford CT

The Urban League of Greater Hartford's Black History Celebration 2023 theme is “A Legacy Revealed | A Glimpse of Hope,”. The event will be an in-person experience showcasing the achievements and contributions of local African-American, Afro-Caribbean, and Afro-Latino cultures through an interactive exhibit, inspiring entertainment, and an awards ceremony.

Gordon Parks Celebration & Reception

Sunday, February 19
Valley Photo Center, Springfield

Gordon Parks was a modern renaissance man. He was a photographer, musician, writer, poet, and film director. He was one of the greatest photographers of the twentieth century. His photography covered a broad spectrum of work including photojournalism, fashion, and portraiture. He was particularly known for his photographs highlighting civil rights and poverty. There will be an exhibit, reception, and lecture. The reception will give you the opportunity to see the exhibit and see a special lecture by Keith Sharp, the director of the Gordon Parks Museum in Fort Scott, Kansa, Park's hometown.

Springfield Museums February Exhibits Featuring Prominent Black Artists

February 1-28
D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield

Springfield's D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts will prominently feature five works by artist, activist, and author Faith Ringgold (American, born 1930). Best known for imaginative textile artworks called story quilts, Ringgold draws on her lived experience and on collective histories to create captivating narrative images. Since the 1990s, Ringgold has used silkscreen prints, such as those on view in this exhibition to share her work more widely. In her prints, Ringgold revisits her childhood in Harlem and amplifies the stories of people she admires.

External Professional Development

Poetry Workshop: Photography, Protest, and Perspective

Wednesday, February 1, 2023
12 – 1 p.m.
Free Virtual Workshop
Click this link to learn more and register.

Thursday, February 2, 2023
7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Free Virtual Workshop
Click this link to learn more and register.

Deepen your experience of the exhibition, Reckoning: Protest. Defiance. Resilience. And let it inspire your writing in this virtual ekphrastic poetry workshop. Ekphrastic poetry responds to a work of visual art-generally a painting, sculpture, or photograph. During the workshop, attendees will explore the many perspectives captured in a single moment. The workshop will be led by international slam poetry champion, Anthony McPherson. McPherson's work incorporates various art forms, as well as a myriad of character impressions, to address race, art, and his own biracial identity. He's appeared on Button Poetry, in HuffPost, and Upworthy, and has reached over ten million views since his first viral poem, "All Lives Matter: 1800's Edition." This event is sponsored by the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Black Homesteaders of the South with Bernice A. Bennett

Saturday, February 4, 2023
12 – 1:30 p.m.
Free Virtual Event
Click this link to learn more and register.

Join genealogist Bernice A. Bennett who will uncover the stories of African American families who became landowners through the Homestead Act of 1862 from her latest book Black Homesteaders of the South. Bennett’s work is a modern story of black genealogists who networked through a Facebook page to trace the footsteps of their ancestors in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana & Mississippi. Find out how these families navigated the application process through the federal government, and what this legacy means for their descendants today. Bernice Alexander Bennett is an award-winning author, genealogist and host of Research at the National Archives & Beyond BlogTalkRadio program.

Through the African American Lens: Afrofuturism: The Origin Story – A Smithsonian Channel Documentary

Wednesday, February 8, 2023,
7 – 9 p.m.
Free Virtual Event
Click this link to learn more and register.

In support of NMAAHC’s newest exhibition, Afrofuturism - A History of Black Futures, the public programs department will present the Afrofuturism: The Origin Story documentary produced by the Smithsonian Channel. This film features insights from renowned scholar and artist Ytasha Womack with Kevin Strait, NMAAHC curator of the Afrofuturism exhibition, and contributor to its companion collection of essays. The panel discussion following the film will be livestreamed beginning at 8:00 PM, EST.

Exploring Race & Representation in Picture Books (2 Sessions)

February 8 and 15
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Click this link to learn more and register.

Learn how to use picture books to provide “mirrors and windows” that reflect readers’ identities and open their eyes to the world beyond their lived experiences. We will consider criteria for selecting books, explore titles featured in recent and current exhibitions, and share strategies for engaging children in conversations about race at storytime. Participants will also discover tools for conducting diversity audits and other resources for building a more equitable, inclusive book collection.

6th Annual Black Experience Summit

Friday, February 24
12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Elms College, Veritas Auditorium on the second floor of Berchmans Hall
Free In-person Event
Click this link to learn more and register. 

The theme this year, "Embodying Faith, Seeking Racial Justice,” explores the impact of racism in the life and mission of religious institutions. This summit is designed to bring students and scholars together through engaging speakers and inspirational dialogue, the Black Experience Summit will be hosted by President Harry Dumay, Ph.D., MBA, and held on Friday, February 24, 2023 from 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Elms College campus (in Veritas Auditorium on the second floor of Berchmans Hall, 291 Springfield Street, Chicopee, MA 01013). This event is at no cost and is open to the public.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate

Click this link to learn more register.

University of South Florida Muma College of Business is proud to offer this self-paced, online, free, asynchronous course. You can start this course any time before December 31, 2023. As this is a self-paced, seven-module course, you can start and finish anytime, although most participants finish 7 modules in 7 weeks.

Race, Power, & Privilege | E-Course

Click this link to learn more and register.

An immersive e-course for students to gain the tools and confidence to talk about race and racism, and to help build an inclusive campus culture. Talking openly and knowledgeably about race is an ever-increasing competency that students are expected to develop. That is why SpeakOut and SHIFT created the Race, Power, & Privilege E-Course. This low-cost, powerfully-packaged experience helps students tap into their imaginations to grow and thrive in a diverse campus setting.

Resources

Presidential Proclamation

On January 31, 2023, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. gave a proclamation on National Black History Month, 2023.

Read the Proclamation

Why Black History Month Matters

African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial pogroms, and police killings since our arrival upon these shores. These efforts have been to advocate for a dignified self-determined life in a just democratic society in the United States and beyond the United States political jurisdiction. The 1950s and 1970s in the United States were defined by actions such as sit-ins, boycotts, walkouts, and strikes by Black people and white allies in the fight for justice against discrimination in all sectors of society from employment to education to housing. Black people have had to consistently push the United States to live up to its ideals of freedom, liberty, and justice for all.  To learn more about the Black Resistance theme for Black History Month 2023, see the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) website.

Google Arts & Culture Recognizes the Father of Black History Month

This online exhibit entitled “The Genesis of Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s National Black History Week explores the origins of Black History Month with former Smithsonian Fellow Kimberly D. Brown.

Past Years

Carberry Conversations: Artist Kiayani Douglas

Springfield Technical Community College kicked off Black History Month celebration in February with a “Carberry Conversations” event featuring visual artist and educator Kiayani Douglas. Douglas on Feb. 7 spoke via Zoom with Sondra Peron, associate professor and coordinator for the Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery.

Peron asked Douglas about her work, which includes “Fallacies of a Black Identity Enthusiast.” Douglas was the artist-in-residence at STCC in February 2020. She developed an interdisciplinary body of work called Black Identity Enthusiast, which is geared toward curating conversations rooted in race history and privilege.

Watch the Kiayanni Douglas Carberry Conversation on STCC's YouTube Channel

Beyond Myths, Memes and Soundbites: An Examination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a Historical Agent For Social Change

The STCC Office of Multicultural Affairs on Monday, Feb. 14, 12:15 p.m. presented “Beyond Myths, Memes and Soundbites: An Examination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a Historical Agent For Social Change.”

This event is a part of a new series created by the Office of Multicultural Affairs to celebrate Dr. King's commitment to racial justice and the civil rights movement. Keynote speaker Dr. J. Anthony Guillory is a historian, scholar, lecturer, and adjunct faculty at STCC. 

Watch Dr. Guillory's presentation on STCC's YouTube Channel

Interrupting Oppression in Everyday Situations

The STCC Office of Multicultural Affairs, in partnership with the college’s Anti-Racism and Inclusion Alliance, on Feb. 17 at 3 p.m. hosted an interactive workshop for faculty and staff titled “Interrupting Oppression in Everyday Situations.” The award-winning University of Oregon graduate student theater troupe "Rehearsals for Life" offered a lively and interactive session about how to facilitate conversations that emerge everyday around issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, and disability.

Carberry Conversations: Painter Andrae Green

“Carberry Conversations,” presented by STCC’s Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery, continues on Feb. 25 at 12:15 p.m. with a virtual conversation between associate professor and gallery coordinator Sondra Peron and painter Andrae Green of Springfield.

Peron and Green will discuss his work as a painter. According to his website, Green’s work explores the nuances of the collective consciousness that has been shaped by time, mythology, and memory.

Celebrating Black History Month with Eddie S. Glaude, Jr.

The New York Times Bestselling Author & Chair of Princeton University’s Department of African American Studies spoke about a wide look at black communities, the difficulties of race in the United States, and the challenges our democracy faces. Part of the Diversity Speaker & Performance Series at STCC.

  • Feb. 17 at 12:15 p.m.
  • Free and Open to All

The Civil Rights Amendments and the Civil Rights Act of 1964

STCC faculty J. Anthony Guillory and John Diffley discuss the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Culture Clashes in Western Mass

STCC alumnus Zul Manzi ’18 discusses his animated series (based on his Tanzanian family's experience), The Matumbilas, streaming on KweliTV.

Student Activities

“Finding Inspiration” Essay Contest

Describe an African-American public figure, a famous person, or someone in your life who has inspired you. Essays will be judged based on content, originality, and organization. The winning essays receive prizes. Questions? Please contact tarpey@stcc.edu.

  • Entries due Feb. 22
  • Open to STCC Students

Also Happening This February

Hearts and Minds: A Dialogue on Education

How do you define education? Is it in the classroom, the community, or beyond? This session focuses on how race, class, and gender shape the experiences of men of color in education both inside and outside of the classroom. Join campus and community panelists as they share how they have overcome barriers and the impact that educational experiences have had on their lives, self-worth, and relationships.
Part of the Heart of a Man Series at STCC.

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