In celebration of Black History Month, join us at the Kent State University Museum for Word Sounds and Power: Poem for the Living. This multimedia exploration is the poignant personal story of poet Mwatabu S. Okantah, ’76, interim chair of the Department of Africana Studies, as he tells the story of self-discovery, healing and transformation rendered in original music and poetry, with keyboard artist Vince Robinson, ’80, and violinist Annie Fullard. Tameka Ellington, Ph.D. ’99, ’11, former interim Assistant Dean of the College of the Arts and co-curator of TEXTURES: the history and art of Black hair exhibit, will lead a short discussion with Okantah following the performance. This event will be livestreamed for those unable to physically attend. Following the program, in-person guests can enjoy a dessert reception and browse the TEXTURES: the history and art of Black hair exhibit.
Black History Month
About Black History Month (February)
Black History Month, or National African American History Month, is an annual celebration of achievements by Black Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of African Americans in U.S history. Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life, which initiated the first variation of Black History month, titled, Negro History Week in 1926 during the second week of February. In 1970 according to the Kent Stater, Kent State University began observance of Black History Month, however, it was not until 1976 that every president designated the month of February as Black History Month.
To acknowledge and honor the fact that Black History Month began at Kent State University and pay homage to those who were pivotal in the origin of the month long celebration, we've developed the hashtag
#BHMBirthPlace
2022 Black History Calendar of Events
A social gathering for students to come together to play a friendly competition of Black History Trivia.
Learn more about developing mental health practices.
The Black hair care industry has been in existence since the 1900s with the likes of Annie Turnbo Malone, Madam C. J. Walker, and Garrett Morgan. These entrepreneurs set the standard for successful Black owned hair care businesses. However, for more than 100 years that success has been continually threatened by non-Blacks profiting off of products they created catering to the Black community. Join us as Ladosha Wright, Goldie Jenkins, and Dr. Tameka Ellington discuss this phenomenon along with the life of Christina Jenkins, inventor of the hair weave and a hair care industry business woman in the 1950s. This Facebook Live event will take place at Dr. Tameka Ellington, co-curator of the KSU Museum's TEXTURES exhibition, on Monday, Feb. 21, at 5 p.m. EST. Banner images:
The Black hair care industry has been in existence since the 1900s with the likes of Annie Turnbo Malone, Madam C. J. Walker, and Garrett Morgan. These entrepreneurs set the standard for successful Black owned hair care businesses. However, for more than 100 years that success has been continually threatened by non-Blacks profiting off of products they created catering to the Black community. Join us as Ladosha Wright, Goldie Jenkins, and Dr. Tameka Ellington discuss this phenomenon along with the life of Christina Jenkins, inventor of the hair weave and a hair care industry business woman in the 1950s.