The Daily Bulletin Archive

“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”
—— Martin Luther King Jr.

February is Black History Month, and Buffalo State will celebrate with an array of activities on campus, including film viewings, readings, music, and food.

The month’s origins trace back to 1926, when Carter Woodson, an African American historian, author, and journalist, established “Negro History Week” in a scholarly effort to popularize the contributions of black Americans. Driven by the belief that history books largely neglected the achievements of people of color, Woodson wanted to provide the nation an opportunity to commemorate their successes. He chose the second week of February because it included the birthdays of two important individuals in the history of black Americans: Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Not until the United States celebrated its 200th birthday in 1976 did the weeklong celebration expand to the entire month of February.

“We should emphasize not Negro history, but the Negro in history,” said Woodson in 1926. “What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world void of national bias, race hate, and religious prejudice.”

Observances of Black History Month at Buffalo State College will include the following activities. An ongoing list of events at Buffalo State is available on the Student Life and the African and African American Studies Web sites.

Beginning February 11, an exhibit by associate librarian Musa Abdul Hakim, titled Breaking the Silences on the Holocaust of Slavery: Remembering the Multiple Legacies of Enslavement and Trade in Africa’s Human Population,will be on view in E. H. Butler Library lobby. A collection of photographs, book covers, and film slides will illustrate the experiences of black Americans and depict slavery, plantation life, the Ku Klux Klan, the Black Panthers, riots, poverty, and segregation.

On February 21, a screening of Malcolm X will take place at 7:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Fireside Lounge. The event is sponsored by the Student Life Office, the African American Students Organization, Black Active Minds, the Pan African Students Organization, Silver Screen, and Omega Phi Beta.

On February 22, a “post” Kwanzaa Dinner will be available for all Buffalo State students, faculty, and staff at 6:00 p.m. in E. H. Butler Library 210. Local professional storyteller Karima Amin (left) will provide a reading. The dinner includes a candle-lighting ceremony and a discussion of the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Cuisine will include catered African, Caribbean, and soul food.

On February 28, the African American Students Organization will present the third annual Mahogany Pageant at 6:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall. Tickets are $5 and may be purchased at the Rockwell Hall box office. Gail Wells, director of student life, says the event contrasts typical beauty pageants and fits with African heritage.

“The Mahogany Pageant celebrates uniqueness in a culturally reaffirming way,” she said. “You don’t have to be thin to be beautiful. The pageant stresses the beauty of non-physical attributes and different body types, and this year we’re celebrating African-inspired fashion that has influenced European design.”