The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center will celebrate Black History Month with events focused on the month’s theme: “The Show Goes On.”
The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center will offer virtual events throughout February, featuring lecturers, panels, film screenings and a trivia night. Pulitzer Prize winning author Isabel Wilkerson will be a speaker for a conversation on Feb. 17 about race, caste and inequality in the United States.
Gloria Howell, Director of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, said the theme means the Black community should celebrate its strength this month.
“The Black community has faced a lot of collective losses this year, disproportionately being affected by the pandemic and losing many Black and Brown folks,” Howell said. “So we wanted to celebrate this year to show that the show goes on. We are resilient, we keep going, we're persistent, we love each other, we come together to build a community, and we want to celebrate that.”
Howell also said people who are not Black should celebrate this month by recognizing Black history. They can attend events at the culture center or learn more about Black history independently.
"They should recognize that Black history is part of the world,” Howell said. “It's our history and it's something that we should celebrate and honor 365, all day, every day. So there's a part for everybody to play in that. And I just hope that we can really be authentic and honor that history.”
The Black Student Union will collaborate with the Neal-Marshall Center on events throughout the month.
Arianna Hoye, who serves as secretary for the Black Student Union, said all students should participate by attending the events and learning.
“Black History Month is a time to celebrate and also it's a good time to educate ourselves,” Hoye said. “Just looking into things deeper and kind of understanding that the basic history we learn in school is not 100% right. Only one side of the story is being told.”
On Feb. 10, the center will offer “Kickb(l)ack with the NMBCC,” during which students can connect with peers in a welcoming community space. On Feb. 12 there will also be a virtual screening of “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,” which is a film about the blues singer Ma Rainey.
The event on Feb. 23 is “BOOKed and Busy: Black Culture Center Monthly Reading Circle,” which will include a conversation with faculty and a reflective activity.
The Black Knowledge Bowl will be Feb. 24 and will include games and trivia about Black history at IU.
The final event will be a celebration of the end of Black History Month on Feb. 27. This “City of Bloomington BHM Gala” will feature music and awards for service and leadership.
