Keynote Speaker to Address Racial Justice for Black History Month

February 1, 2021 | Diversity, Events, News, UToday
By Staff



The University of Toledo will celebrate the heritage and history of African Americans with a series of virtual events and activities for students, faculty and staff throughout Black History Month.

The keynote speaker for 2021 Black History Month celebrations is Tamika Mallory, an influential Black voice who is co-chair of the Women’s March and co-founder of Until Freedom. She will speak on issues of racial justice in the current climate at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, in a virtual presentation.

This year’s Black History Month is particularly meaningful given the racial unrest throughout much of 2020, said David Young, director of Toledo Excel.

 “The whole world was focused on one aspect of the Black experience last summer,” Young said. “It is critically important that in Black History Month we look at our experience holistically; past, present and future. What are the origins? What led to this very present-day racial injustice? And most importantly, where are we headed?”

Throughout Black History Month the Office of Multicultural Student Success will host a weekly Watch Party Series, a virtual afternoon and evening film-watching event each Friday in February beginning with Pixar’s “Soul” at 1 and 7 p.m. Feb. 5. RSVP for the event on Invonet.

The series continues with a pair of documentaries, “Soul Food Junkies” on Feb. 12 and “Tell Them We are Rising: The Story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities” on Feb. 19, and the historical drama “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” on Feb. 26.

The UToledo Student Recreation Center also will feature music by influential Black artists throughout the month.

Additional Black History Month events include:

Tuesday, Feb. 16

•  Dialogue on Diversity, 6 p.m., via Webex. The next conversation in the series will focus on the COVID-19 vaccine.

Friday, Feb. 19

•  Black History Month Trivia, 5 p.m., via Zoom. Join the National Society of Black Engineers for the trivia event, which will focus on Black historical figures who have made a mark in the engineering world.

For more information, including a full list of events, visit the Office of Multicultural Student Success website.

Planning committees for the 2022 Black History Month are also open to all UToledo students, faculty and staff. Those interested in serving on a committee should email omss@utoledo.edu.

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