Black History Month features variety of voices

Pitt-Bradford will host a host a variety of black voices from around the country as part of its Black History Month observance.

All activities are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

The month begins with a kickoff dinner from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 1 in the KOA Dining Room featuring music by African-American artists. There is a cost for the meal.

Comedian B.T. Kinglsey will perform at 9 p.m. that night in the Mukaiyama University Room of the Frame-Westerberg Commons.

Creole artists Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience will perform Feb. 2 in the Bromeley Family Theater. In the morning, he'll present “Creole for Kids and the History of Zydeco” for area schoolchildren.

That evening, the group will let loose for a Mardi Gras party that begins with refreshments at 5:30 p.m. Simien and the Zydeco Experience will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. to bring their unique brand of Louisiana roots music to Bradford. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for students. The cost for Pitt-Bradford students is $5. Refreshments are included in the cost. Tickets can be purchased by calling 814-362-5113 or at the door.

“Real Talk” discussions will be held each Tuesday. Each discussion will be held twice - once from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 218 of the Frame-Westerberg Commons and once from 9 to 10 p.m. in Special Dining Rooms A&B off of the café in the Commons. On Feb., 6, the noon session will take place in Swarts 104. Topics are “Voting Rights” on Feb. 6; “Patriotism and Kneeling” on Feb. 13; and “LGBT People of Color” on Feb. 20.

The “Real Talk” on Feb. 27 will be held at 7 p.m. in Rice Auditorium in Fisher Hall as a forum to discuss “Allies of the Movement.”

Orin James, instructor of biology, will make presentations on two prominent black scientists and lead participants in a short experiment concerning their work. At 6:30 p.m. Feb. 7 in Room 205 of Fisher Hall, he will talk about Alice Augusta Ball, the African American chemist that developed a treatment for leprosy that was used until the 1940s.

At 6:30 p.m. Feb. 28, in Fisher 205, James will present on Ernest Everett Just, a pioneering African-American biologist who recognized how cell surfaces play a fundamental role in the development of organisms.

James will also give a reading from Ralph Ellison's milestone novel “Invisible Man” at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 21 in Fisher 205. Those wishing to attend James's events should make a reservation by emailing ojames@pitt.edu.

At 11:55 p.m., Feb. 16, there will be a free showing of the long-awaited movie version of Marvel Comics' “Black Panther” at the Bradford Main Street Movie House in downtown Bradford. The film is rated PG-13.

At noon on Feb. 8, Ugandan native, musician and humanitarian Samite Mulondo will perform in the Studio Theater of Blaisdell Hall.

Another free movie showing will be last year's Academy Awards Best Picture winner, “Moonlight,” at 8:30 p.m. Feb. 19 in Rice Auditorium of Fisher Hall. Presented on campus by the Pride Alliance, “Moonlight,” a coming-of-age film about a young black man in 1980s Miami.

The month ends with the annual One World Cultural Festival at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 24 in the Frame-Westerberg Commons. The festival is free for students. There is a small fee for those wishing to eat from the international stations.

Other events throughout the month include an “I Love My Hair” program with free haircuts and styling for hair of all types, service at The Friendship Table and Black History Month Jeopardy.

For disability needs related to Black History Month events on campus, contact the Pitt-Bradford Office of Disability Resources at (814)362-7609 or clh71@pitt.edu.