The Office of Minority Affairs puts on its traditional soul food dinner in the Multipurpose Room at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12. The poet s signature is using his melodic, thunderous voice to perform a medley of poems influenced by social consciousness. The free program in the University Center's Multipurpose Room includes a question and answer session and refreshments. The sponsors invite the public to the free annual event featuring performances from many area choirs. On Tuesday, Feb. 17, George Gershwin's familiar tunes get a new twist as Gershwin by Request comes to Wattenbarger Auditorium at 8 p.m. Leon Bates, Sebronette Barnes and Benjamin Matthews have energized international audiences with a combination of traditional and original performances of the classics.
Admission is free.
The performance includes dance, poetry, and music. Black History Month has its genesis in Negro History Week established in 1926 by Carter Woodson. Woodson, a Harvard University Alumnus, chose February because both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln were born in the month. Woodson hoped all Americans would take the time to reflect on their own roots and develop respect for diverse backgrounds.