A series of events coordinated by the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education will celebrate Black History Month at Elon.
The Elon University community will be able to celebrate Black History Month with a series of events throughout the month of February hosted by the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education (CREDE).
The Black History Month 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 at Elon will focus on these subthemes — revive, reclaim and rejoice.
If you have any questions, please contact CREDE Program Coordinator Simone Royal at sroyal2@elon.edu or 336-278-7243.
Black History Month events at Elon
Black History Month Kickoff Festival
Wednesday, Feb. 1 | 5 p.m.
McKinnon Room — Moseley Student Center
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!
Second Annual Iman W.D. Mohammed: Honoring the Legacy Symposium
Thursday, Feb. 2 | 6:30 p.m.
McBride Gathering Space
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.
Guest speakers: Imam Oliver Mohammed and Imam Dr. Salahuddin Muhammad. Sponsors: Muslim Life at Elon, CSRCS, CREDE
Black History Month Recognition Basketball Game: Women’s basketball vs. North Carolina A&T
Friday, Feb. 3 | 7 p.m
Schar Center
Chef Kabui Dining Takeover
Tuesday, Feb. 7 | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Station Takeover at Lakeside Dining Hall
Njathi Kabui is an electric chef with a passion for food justice. He is a leading expert is good literacy, a medical anthropologist, and an organic famer. Chef Kabui will be providing a 4-course meal for a station takeover at the Lakeside Dining Hall on the World Station.
Resistance and Resilience: Black Travel Past & Present
Wednesday, Feb. 8 | 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Koury Business Center Room 101
Hosted by the Global Education Center.
Black Table Talk with Friends: AfroLatinx Cooking Class
Wednesday, Feb. 15 | 5:30 p.m.
Moseley Kitchen
This event will explore the taste of foods rich in flavor and that reflect both cultures of Latin America and the African Diaspora.
Racist Roots Screening
Thursday, Feb. 16 | 7 p.m.
Downtown Burlington Paramount Theatre (free admission)
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.
Carnaval Celebration
Tuesday, Feb. 21 | 5 p.m.
McKinnon — Moseley Student Center
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.
Black Solidarity Conference
Friday, Feb. 24 | noon to 6 p.m.
McKinnon — Moseley Student Center
Black Solidarity Day began in 1969, due to the work of Brooklyn College professor Dr. Carlos Russell, as a demonstration of Black liberation. Now, the Black Solidarity Conference continues 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 in addition to creating space for the entirety of the Elon community to dive deeper into matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Black History Month Dance Performance
Friday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 25 at 2 p.m.
McCrary Theatre