Black history month engages the African diaspora

In print | February 14, 2008

In observance of Black History Month, various student groups and organizations, academic departments and the Black Cultural Center have contributed to and coordinated several lectures, discussions, performances and workshops that will discuss and celebrate the African Diaspora on campus.

According to Tim Sams, Assistant Dean and Director of the BCC, Black History Month was historically commemorated at the college as a shorter Black History Week in 1926, only to have later “morphed” into the Black History Month that we know today.

During the planning stage of Black History Month in November, the BCC contacts the various clubs, organizations and departments interested in contributing an event for the month.

It is these bodies themselves that are the most invested in organizing their events, according to Sams.

“A few years ago, we had decided to migrate away from the idea that the BCC is responsible for Black History Month because it basically ghettoizes the idea and allows others to abdicate their responsibility,” Sams said.

This year, the Month’s events are being sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the BCC, the Department of Black Studies, the William J. Cooper Foundation, the Swarthmore African Students Association, Students of Carribean Ancestry, Enlace and the Swarthmore African American Student Society.

Under the auspices of the BCC, Sams then works toward producing a calendar free of any scheduling conflicts.

He also invites the groups and departments to comment on whether the range and diversity of the events scheduled are appropriate.

This year’s Black History Month kicked off with an Afro-Brazilian Drumming Workshop taught by Alex Shaw ’00, followed by a Cooper Event lecture entitled “Slaying the Dragons that Threaten our Children,” by Geoffrey Canada.

Canada’s lecture held last Friday discussed issues concerning children, particularly the effects of violence and other adverse factors, including economic conditions.

According to Sams, this lecture was one that would appeal to various groups on campus that have been working on initiatives concerned with similar issues in Chester communities.

“It’s interesting because the Geoffrey Canada event is a function of my desire to have a moment where all the educational activities — the various Lang projects, Dare2Soar, Blueprint — come together, to hear from someone who has worked on a similar project, who has been given a pioneer status,” Sams said.

Black History Month will also incorporate Afro-Latino Week and Afro-Caribbean week.

“What you have in this month — Afro-Caribbean week, Afro-Latino week — is a reflection of these groups coming to understand that there is an expectation that they put something together and offer something during the course of the month,” Sams said.

The events of Afro-Latino week concluded last Saturday night with a spoken word performance.

The event featured renowned professional spoken word artist Oveous Maximus, Bryn Mawr artists 3XL and Nicole Mariw Lopez and the college’s Eva McKend ’11.

“My piece ‘Not Another Love Poem,’ gave me an opportunity to connect with black females,” McKend said.

“I think we share in the degradation and absence of love that we often face. I felt really good about performing it during this month because I felt that at this particular show … there would be lots of students who could connect and benefit from my message. I was really excited. It was the perfect opportunity and the perfect timing,” McKend said.

Another event coming up next Monday is a Fireside Chat with Maurice Eldridge ’61 during which Eldridge will share his perspective as an African-American student at Swarthmore during the late 50s and early 60s.

“I could simply say that being an African-American student in those days, still being called Negro, was sometimes a very lonely person to be in the late 50s and early ’60s,” he said.

“It certainly was a complex life situation … I will have some things to say and then I will invite people to comment and/or ask me questions,” Eldridge said.

President of SASS and Achieving Black and Latino Leaders of Excellence founder Keith Benjamin ‘09 said he is looking forward to Eldridge’s talk. “It’s giving not just the black community on campus, but the entire Swat community a chance to hear his story,” he said.

“I think its imperative that people know how individuals got to where they are, the struggles they had to go through, and have an appreciation of who those people were.”

“I’m just hoping that people get a lot out of it and the entire Swarthmore community takes part in all of the activities that are happening for the rest of the month,” Benjamin said.

“It’s our way of giving an insider’s look at what is happening in our community — and I think that’s always a great thing.”

Black History Month Events

Thursday, February 14
Soweto Street Beat, Drum Kingdom
Workshop
LPAC, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Friday, February 15
Soweto Street Beat, Zulu Kingdom
Concert
LPAC, 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 16

SASS Party: Bring the People
Together
Paces, 10 PM- 2 a.m.Monday, February 18
Fire-Side Chat with Maurice
Eldridge ’61 on his life at Swarthmore
KOHL Coffee Bar, 7 p.m.

Thursday, February 21
Lecture: “Color Him Father: Stories of Love and Rediscovery of Black Men” Valerie Harrison, JD
BCC, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, February 22
Dinner and a Movie: “Higher
Learning”
SCI 101, 6 p.m.