Historian and scholar Dr. Carter G. Woodson is credited for setting the foundation for what we now know as national Black History Month, observed each February.
In 1926, he launched Negro History Week to bring national attention to the contributions of black Americans throughout history. Then in 1976, during the American bicentennial celebration, President Gerald Ford formally established Black History Month.
Missouri State University’s observance of Black History Month 2017 will fill February with a slate of educational and cultural events to highlight the contributions of Blacks to American society.
Yvania Garcia-Pusateri, executive director of multicultural programs, and Nia Morgan, graduate assistant of multicultural programs at Missouri State University, share more about the celebration and why people should be part of it.
Black History Month 2017 is presented by the office of multicultural programs in collaboration with several other organizations on campus.
Events of note are the Black History Month Celebration Banquet and Fashion Show and Keynote Presentation by Ben Sanders III, assistant professor of theology and ethics at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis.
The banquet at 6 p.m. Feb. 25 in Plaster Student Union Ballroom will feature cultural dishes prepared by students and traditional African clothing.
The presentation by Sanders at 7 p.m. Feb. 27 in the Davis-Harrington Welcome Center will focus on the topic “Race, Law Enforcement and Faith-Based Racism.”
All events are free and most of them are open to the public. For more information about Black History Month at Missouri State, including a complete list of happenings, visit the office of multicultural programs' website.
