In honor of Black History Month, several College of Charleston organizations have arranged activities and events open to the public. These activities and events focus on a variety of historical and current issues related to race and black history. The following list is provided for interested parties and is organized by date.

1. Exhibition: “Brilliant Reflections: People and Places,” Floyd Gordon, independent artist

• Open from February 5 – April 30, 2014 in the Avery Research Center (125 Bull St.).
• The exhibit of local artist and author Floyd Gordon features a leather-bound book published by Cecil Williams Photography with 368 richly illustrated pages and an eight-page gatefold that reveals several nearly two-foot long paintings.

 

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2. Learning to Protest: Black High School Activism During the Civil Rights Movement with Jon Hale

• February 6, 2014 at 5:30 p.m. in the Stern Center Ballroom (71 George St.).
• Jon Hale will address the public regarding youth activism in the American South during the Civil Rights Movement as part of an ongoing series called “From Equality to Quality: Commemorating the Brown v. Board of Education Decision.”

 

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3. The Road to Freedom: From Alabama to Obama with Former NAACP Chairman Julian Bond.

• February 7, 2014 at 6 p.m. in Physicians Memorial Auditorium (72 George St.).
• The College Office of Institutional Diversity presents Julian Bond in an event highlighting Bond’s pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement and expertise on diversity in the law. He will deliver a powerful message of equality, freedom, and justice with a renewed sense of relevance.

 

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 4. Screening of The Iran Job

• February 13, 2014 at 7 p.m. in the Recital Hall at the Simons Center for the Arts (54 St. Phillip St.).
• The Iran Job is an independent documentary about American basketball player Kevin Sheppard as he accepts a job to play professionally in one of the world’s most feared and misunderstood countries: Iran. The screening is presented by the Halsey Institute for Contemporary Arts and the College’s First Year Experience Program.

 

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5. I’m Talkin’ ‘Bout the Food I Sells: A Speech with Jessica B. Harris

• February 16, 2014 at 4 p.m. in the Stern Center Ballroom.
• Magnolia Plantation and Gardens and the Carolina Lowcountry and Atlantic World Program at the College of Charleston present Jessica B. Harris, who will discuss Charleston’s street vendors – their wares and their ways.

 

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6. “We the People” Gospel Choir Performance

• February 16, 2014 at 5 p.m. at the Sottile Theatre (44 George St.). Admission is $10.
• The “We the People” event will be an evening of spiritual and gospel music featuring the Calflin University Concert Choir with a guest performance by the College of Charleston Gospel Choir. The event is hosted by the Office of Multicultural Student Programs and Services.

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7. 25th Annual African American Read-In

• February 18, 2014 at 6 p.m. in the Alumni Memorial Hall in Randolph Hall (66 George St.).
• The Office of Institutional Diversity, Multicultural Student Programs and Services, ROAR Scholars and the Black Student Union present a read-in featuring poems from the Harlem Renaissance.

 

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8. Bridge Builders Panel Discussion on Navigating Race in the Workplace

• RESCHEDULED, TBD at 12 p.m. in the Alumni Center at the School of Education, Health and Human Performance Building (86 Wentworth St.).
• Guest panelists include Jerod Frazier, Lee Pringle, Johnny Caldwell and Deona Smith with moderator Ayinde Waring.

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9. From Slave Fields to Athletic Field: The Commodification of the African American Athlete at the Cost of Academic Achievement with Anthony Greene

• February 20, 2014 at 5:30 p.m. at the Office of Admissions Presentation Room (65 George St.).
• Anthony Greene will discuss African American students and student athletes.

 

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10. Rhapsody in Black

• February 22, 2014 at 6 p.m. at the Avery Research Center.
• The “Celebrating Us”: Open Mic Night will honor the many talents of black students on campus.

 

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11. Brown Bag Series: “The Art of Protest,” with Independent Artist Karole Turner Campbell

• February 26, 2014 at 12 p.m. in the Avery Research Center
• On the one-year anniversary of the shooting of Trayvon Martin, Karole Turner Campbell discusses a series of paintings she is developing that are inspired by this tragic event and the trial of George Zimmerman that took place in June and July 2013.

For Events at the Avery Research Center

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12. Screening of Rosa Parks Story with Film Director Julie Dash

• February 26, 2014 at 6 p.m. in the McKinley Auditorium in the Avery Research Center.
• This screening will begin with an introduction by the film’s director, Julie Dash and end with a Q&A session with Dash.