By Sydney Fairbanks and Christopher Gillett
Several organizations are celebrating Black History Month with various events at Youngstown State University.
Julian Johnson, a junior political science major, is the president of Black Student Union, which meets every Wednesday in the Lariccia Room of Jones Hall.
BSU has planned events for Black History Month, including a brown sugar brunch from 1 to 3 p.m. on Feb. 17 and a Black poetry slam at 6 p.m. on Feb. 21 in the Lariccia Room.
Johnson said Black History Month is significant because of the struggles African Americans have overcome.
“We, as African Americans, came a long way in this country. We started out pretty rough in shackles. We’ve progressed and made ways for ourselves, just continuing the lineage and the unbreakable will,” Johnson said.
Bliss Hall is also presenting the African American History Month Exhibition dedicated to Black history. The exhibition runs until Feb. 22 in the Judith Rae Solomon Gallery and features artwork by Nasir Watson, a YSU graduate.
Samuel Adu-Poku, professor and coordinator of art education, said he initiated the exhibition 17 years ago.
“They organize a Black History Month [exhibition] every year, so I worked with the director [of the Africana Studies program] and we decided to start this. They give it a funding, and then I look for the artists,” Adu-Poku said.
Adu-Poku said he decided to bring art into the celebration of Black History Month because the art community lacks African American creators.
“It really creates an opportunity for the African Americans in particular to be able to get a venue to be able to share their experience and expertise,” Adu-Poku said.
Penny Wells, the executive director of Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past, has organized a showing of the 2022 movie “Till,” which is about the the lynching of 14-year-old Emmet Till in 1955 and Till’s mother’s pursuit of justice afterward.
“Till” will show at 6 p.m. on Feb. 27 in the auditorium of the Williamson College of Business Administration.
Keith Beauchamp, the researcher, co-writer and co-producer of “Till,” will host the movie’s showing. Beauchamp will also host a Q&A session after the showing.
Wells said Black History Month is significant because it highlights the underappreciated role of African Americans in American history.
“It is one month out of the year where people seem to focus on Black history. My feeling is Black history is American history, so we should be focusing on it 12 months out of the year, and it’s unfortunate that we don’t,” Wells said.
Wells was involved in the Civil Rights Movement. She participated in the March Against Fear in 1966 and organized voting drives in the South.
“[The Civil Rights Movement] was just the beginning. I think it was the opening of my eyes to what was going on and has just impacted everything I’ve done since,” Wells said.
YSU will also host Step Afrika! in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center at 7 p.m. on Feb. 20. The live performance will showcase the art form of stepping, a dance style that developed in African American fraternities and sororities. The event is free and open to the public.