Black History Month Events Scheduled at UW

The anniversary of the Black 14 football players, a mobile museum, workshops, panel discussions and a film are among highlights of Black History Month Jan. 31-March 1 at the University of Wyoming.

“Generational Perspectives” is the theme of Black History Month, sponsored by UW’s African American and Diaspora Studies (AADS) and the Black Student Alliance (BSA). Events are free and open to the public.

The BSA also is scheduling concurrent events during Black History Month. Black History Month and BSA Week events are:

-- Thursday, Jan. 31: Black History 101 Mobile Museum, a traveling exhibition that includes more than 7,000 rare artifacts of African-American history, Wyoming Union breezeway, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

-- Friday, Feb. 8: Black History Conference, featuring discussion on the history of Black History Month, speakers, panelists, and student and faculty presentations, UW College of Law, 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

-- Monday, Feb. 11: “What is the Black Student Alliance?” information table, Wyoming Union breezeway, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

-- Tuesday, Feb. 12: “Get Out” film screening, Classroom Building, Room 129, 5:15-8 p.m.

-- Wednesday, Feb. 13: Anniversary of UW’s Black 14 football players, Wyoming Union breezeway, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

-- Thursday, Feb. 14: Poetry workshop and StudioWYO open mic night, Wyoming Union, Room 202 and The Gardens, 4:30 p.m. and 7-8:30 p.m.

-- Friday, Feb. 15: “History of Hip-Hop Dinner and Performance,” UW American Heritage Center, 6-8 p.m.

-- Monday, Feb. 18: “Conversation with Elders,” UW American Heritage Center, 4-6 p.m.

-- Friday, March 1: Panel discussion: “African-American Women in Pageantry,” UW College of Agriculture and Natural Resources auditorium, 4-6 p.m.

To supplement BSA and AADS programs, the American Heritage Center (AHC) is sponsoring the “Images of Black Wyoming” exhibition in the Wyoming Gallery of the Centennial Complex through February. UW student Paige Emerich, with a grant from the UW President’s Advisory Council on Minorities and Women’s Affairs, curated the exhibition.

The exhibition represents noteworthy stories of African-Americans influential in Wyoming’s history.

The AHC currently has a digital exhibition on the loggia television, featuring the papers of June Vanleer Williams. She was an African-American journalist, editor, actress, casting director, playwright, poet and an active member in Karamu House, which is the oldest black theater in the U.S. The Black 14 collection also will be displayed in the Centennial Complex’s lobby through February.

For more information about Black History Month events, email Timberly Vogel, BSA president, at tvogel2@uwyo.edu.