Black History Month Celebration

Our Theme for 2023 is “The Black Renaissance: Revive, Reclaim, Rejoice”.

This month’s focus will be on the intellectual and cultural revival of African American music, dance, art, and culture. This will be a time to not only acknowledge the contributions but to authentically express one’s own sense of Black joy.

Black History Month will focus on these subthemes:

1. Revive

2. Reclaim

3. Rejoice

If you have any questions, please contact CREDE Assistant Director Simone Royal at (sroyal2@elon.edu) or (336)-278-7243.

Ongoing Initiatives

2/1-2/28 | Info Shots | Gerald Francis Center

Host(s): School of Health Science Student Diversity Committee

Subtheme(s): Capturing the Present

Target Audience: Graduate/Professional Students, Faculty & Staff

Description: “Info Shots: Injecting some knowledge about health inequities” is a signage program in which the School of Health Science Student Diversity Committee will post infographic signs all over the Francis Center with facts and information that highlight healthcare inequities for the Black community. The focus is to make common healthcare inequities visible for students, staff, and faculty to spur conversation and progressive practices.

Black History Month Events

February 1 | Black History Month Kick-off Festival | 5-7 PM

Host(s): CREDE

Location: Upstairs Lakeside

Subtheme(s): Revive, Reclaim, Rejoice

Target Audience: Undergrad Students; Graduate/Professional Students; Faculty & Staff; Alumni

Description: An interactive exhibit to learn more about the revival of a community through art, music, literature, and activism. As you walk through you will be able to scan to look at a video clip of each artist or event. This event will highlight the artistic expression of students featuring spoken word, singing, and more. There will be special performances and food to kick off the month!

 

February 2 | Second Annual Imam W.D. Mohammed: Honoring the Legacy Symposium | 6:30 PM

Host(s): Muslim Life at Elon, CSRCS, CREDE

Location: McBride Gathering Space

Subtheme(s): Revive, Reclaim, Rejoice

Target Audience: Undergrad Students; Graduate/Professional Students; Faculty & Staff; Alumni

Description: The event will celebrate the legacy of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, a distinguished Muslim leader known for reforming the Nation of Islam (NOI) and forging ties with mainstream Muslim communities across the US.

February 3 | Black History Month Recognition Basketball Game | 7 PM

Host(s): CREDE, Athletics

Location: Schar Center

Subtheme(s): Revive, Reclaim, Rejoice

Target Audience: Undergrad Students; Graduate/Professional Students; Faculty & Staff; Alumni

Description: Women’s Basketball Game vs. NC A&T

February 7 | Chef Kabui Dining Takeover | 11 AM - 2 PM

Host(s): CREDE, Office of Sustainability, Elon Dining

Location: Lakeside Dining Hall

Subtheme(s): Revive, Reclaim, Rejoice

Target Audience: Undergrad Students; Graduate/Professional Students; Faculty & Staff

Description: Njathi Kabui is an electric chef passionate about food justice. He is a medical anthropologist and an organic farmer. Chef Kabui will provide a 4-course meal for a station takeover at the Lakeside Dining Hall on the World Station.

February 8 | Resistance and Resilience: Black Travel Past & Present | 11:30 AM

Host(s): Global Education Center

Location: Koury Business Center Room 101

Subtheme(s): Revive, Reclaim, Rejoice

Target Audience: Undergrad Students; Graduate/Professional Students; Faculty & Staff; Alumni

Description:

 

February 15 | Black Table Talk with Friends: Afro-Latinx Cooking Class | 5:30 PM

Host(s): CREDE, El Centro

Location: Moseley Kitchen

Subtheme(s): Revive, Reclaim, Rejoice

Target Audience: Undergrad Students; Graduate/Professional Students; Faculty & Staff; Alumni

Description: This event will explore the taste of foods rich in flavor and that reflects both cultures of Latin America and the African Diaspora.

February 16 | Racist Roots Screening | 7 PM

Host(s): CREDE

Location: Downtown Burlington Paramount Theatre (Freed Admission)

Subtheme(s):  Revive, Reclaim, Rejoice

Target Audience: Undergrad Students, Graduate/Professional Students, Faculty & Staff, Public, Alumni

Description: The Alamance Racial Equity Alliance in collaboration with various offices and organizations across Alamance County will be hosting a free screening of “Racist Roots”. This powerful 25-minute film reveals the North Carolina death penalty’s deep entanglement with slavery, lynching, and racism — and inspires people to join the movement to transform the criminal legal system. It includes the stories and voices of advocates, artists, exonerees, and people on North Carolina’s death row. It is a key tool as we strive to educate the public about the injustices of the death penalty and end this cruel punishment.

February 21 | Carnaval Celebration | 5 PM

Host(s): CREDE, El Centro

Location: McKinnon

Subtheme(s):  Revive, Reclaim, Rejoice

Target Audience: Undergrad Students, Graduate/Professional Students, Faculty & Staff, Public, Alumni

Description: This event will be a celebration of the Afro-Latinx culture across Latin America and Caribbean countries. We will have educational components that highlight countries and how they each celebrate Carnaval. This will be an Elon version of the festival celebration with special performances, activities, and food.

February 24-25 | Black History Month Dance Concert | 7 PM & 2 PM

Host(s): Department of Performing Arts, and CREDE

Location: Turner Theatre (123 Williamson Ave, Elon, North Carolina)

Subtheme(s):  Love, Joy, & Resistance

Target Audience: Undergrad Students, Graduate/Professional Students, Faculty & Staff, Public, Alumni

Description: Elon’s Department of Performing Arts will do a screening of their Black History Month performance.

February 24 | Black Solidarity Conference | 12-6 PM

Host(s): Black Student Union; CREDE

Location: Moseley Student Center

Registration opens on February 3rd.

Subtheme(s): Revive, Reclaim, Rejoice

Target Audience: Undergrad Students, Graduate/Professional Students, Faculty & Staff, Alumni

Description: Black Solidarity Day began in 1969, due to the work of Brooklyn College professor Dr. Carlos Russell, as a demonstration of Black liberation. Now, Black Solidarity Day will take place at Elon University for its 8th Annual Conference. The Elon University Black Solidarity Conference aims to unite Black-identifying students, faculty, and staff by providing an avenue through which Black identity, Black intersectionality, and building solidarity are explored. This year we continue to offer an allyship, anti-racism, anti-black racism track designed specifically for non-black identified participants who want to learn more about anti-Blackness, oppression, power, privilege, and ways in which they can be better allies with Black communities. We encourage presentations from persons of all backgrounds with expertise in the following topics to submit to the appropriate tracks. If you have specific questions, please contact Simone Royal (sroyal2@elon.edu) or The Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education (336-278-7244).