OXFORD, Miss. – An array of events are planned at the
University of Mississippi to celebrate Black History Month,
themed “Celebrating Black History Month 2008: Courage,
Determination, Leadership and Legacy.”
Programming begins Monday (Feb. 4), and the keynote address
is set for Feb. 13, featuring the Rev. Joseph E. Lowery,
who helped lead the Montgomery bus boycott after Rosa
Parks’ arrest in 1955.
“Over the past years, we’ve had numerous speakers to
deliver powerful messages for our Black History Month
celebration, but none have the expertise that Rev. Lowery
brings,” said Charles Ross, chair of African-American
studies. “His longevity in the movement and his fight for
civil rights is unparalleled. He marched side by side with
Dr. Martin Luther King, and that direct connection and
relationship should provide some valuable insight to our
students.”
The opening program on Monday features author Charles Cobb,
founder of the National Association of Black Journalists.
The address at 2 p.m. in the Overby Center’s second floor
conference room opens a series of programs during the month
sponsored by the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and
Politics. The series is titled “Breaking Black News,
Building Black Culture: The Past, Present and Future of
America’s Black Press.”
“The black press was a major player during the civil rights
movement,” Wilkie said. “They went places where the
mainstream press didn’t, and they helped galvanize the
black community into action across the nation. We want to
touch on their legacy, but we also want to consider their
modern significance at a time when so many blacks hold
prominent places in the conventional press.”
The series also includes the following 2 p.m. programs at
the same location: Feb. 8, screening of the film “Soldiers
Without Swords;” Feb. 15, discussion by UM students about
the intersection of race and journalism; and Feb. 22, panel
discussion with UM alum Otis Sanford, editor of opinion and
editorials at the Commercial Appeal in Memphis, and Karanja
Ajanaku, editor of the Tri-State Defender in Memphis.
Rounding out the series at 7 p.m. Feb. 28, a panel
discussion features UM alum Ronnie Agnew, executive editor
of The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson; Kirk Johnson of
African-American studies; and Bernell Tripp of the
University of Florida, author of “Origins of the Black
Press.”
Coinciding with Black History Month, the fifth annual
Oxford Film Festival, Feb. 8-10, has scheduled films
related to the civil rights struggle. Those films include
“Testing Hope: Grade 12 in the New South Africa,”
“Greensboro: Closer to the Truth,” “Miss Lil’s Camp,” “The
Devil Came on Horseback,” “The Song of Pumpkin Brown,”
“Falsifyin’,” “Banished” and “The Dixie Hummingbirds: 80
Years Young.” Visit
for show times and more information.
Following is a schedule of other Black History Month
events:
Image: Perceptions of Women on Two Distinct College
Campuses,” by Lynette Lacy-Godfrey, a licensed professional
counselor; 203 Johnson Commons.
speaker Rev. LeRoy Wadlington, pastor of Pilgrim Baptist
Church in Indianapolis, and songs by the UM Gospel Choir;
Student Union Lobby.
Personnel Association on the continued existence of racial
discrimination on college campuses; Student Union
Ballroom.
“Mississippi Cold Case,” about Thomas J. Moore, who
journeys to confront Klansmen who murdered his brother and
friend; Overby Center Auditorium.
with speaker Michael White, assistant basketball coach;
Johnson Commons cafeteria. Tickets are $12 and can be
purchased from any member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity or
by calling Tyrus McCarty at 662-607-1463.
Smith and Sam Hose and the Creation of the Modern Lynching
Narrative,” by author Edwin T. Arnold; Ford Center
Rehearsal Hall.
Educational Experience through Culture, Community and
Connections,” led by RoSusan D. Bartee, associate professor
of education; Student Union, Room 405.
Struggle, Survival and Accomplishment through Music,”
featuring music by the UM Gospel Choir and a discussion
about the importance of spirituals and hymnals; Ford Center
Rehearsal Hall.
Myth,” by Jerry Watson of Mississippi Valley State
University; 203 Johnson Commons.
and Educationally Effected Schools,” by Bryan Fair, Thomas
E. Skinner Professor of Law at the University of Alabama;
William N. Ethridge Jr. Moot Court Room.
For more information or assistance related to a disability,
contact Valeria Beasley-Ross at 662-915-7248. All events
are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.