Wofford opens its 2024 Black History Month observance with a lecture and musical performance by flutist and educator Galen Abdur-Razzaq.
Abdur-Razzaq will present “Jazz and the Civil Rights Movement” at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1, in Leonard Auditorium. He will chronicle jazz history and illustrate how jazz became an advocacy for the Civil Rights Movement, with proceeds from jazz concerts used to finance major events such as the Freedom Rides and the March on Washington in 1963.
“Black History Month’s founder, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, imagined this annual observance as a way to remind Americans that Black Americans’ history needed to be integrated into an inclusive American historical narrative,” says Dr. Dwain Pruitt ’95, chief equity officer. “While Black History Month focuses on the Black experience, it is also an important reminder for all of us that there are many American experiences, and all are worthy of historical inquiry.”
In addition to several other Black History Month events, February also includes the second and third installments of the college’s new series, “Defining or Dividing?: Issues in American Culture and History.” Seth David Radwell will give a talk titled “The American Schism: The Roots and Evolution of American Political Division,” based on his book, “American Schism: How the Two Enlightenments Hold the Secret to Healing Our Nation,” at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 5, in Leonard Auditorium. Dr. Colin Dickey speaks about his book, “Under the Eye of Power: How Fear of Secret Societies Shapes American Democracy,” at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 19, also in Leonard Auditorium.
The art galleries will see student exhibitions during the month, including “Touchy Subjects” by Whetsell Fellow Maggie Genoble ’24 and “Artists Collecting Artists,” curated by Dr. Youmi Efurd’s Museum Studies class.
More information on all events can be found in the Daily Announcements or at calendar.wofford.edu.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENTS
Tuesday, Feb. 6
The Other Side of Tomorrow: A Celebration of Black History
6 p.m., Tony White Theater
Award-winning poet and Spartanburg native Moody Black will return to town for a spoken-word poetry showcase alongside other local poets. This event is open to the public as a celebration of Black arts. Click HERE for more information about Moody Black.
Saturday, Feb. 10
Screening of documentary on the life of Mayor James Talley
5 p.m., Jerome Johnson Richardson Theater
A documentary on the life of former Spartanburg mayor James Talley will be screened on Feb. 10. This event is open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Dwain Pruitt at (864) 597-4046.
Saturday, Feb. 17
Screening of “The Spartanburg I Know”
5 p.m., Jerome Johnson Richardson Theater
The film “The Spartanburg I Know” features recollections of the community by Black citizens of Spartanburg, including Al Gray ’71. This event is open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Dwain Pruitt at (864) 597-4046.
OTHER EVENTS
Monday, Feb. 5
American Schism: The Roots and Evolution of American Political Division
6 p.m., Leonard Auditorium
Author Seth David Radwell will discuss his award-winning 2021 book “American Schism: How the Two Enlightenments Hold the Secret to Healing Our Nation” as part of the college’s “Defining or Dividing?: Issues in American Culture and History” series. Arguing that American democracy is in danger because we have not learned valuable lessons from American history, the book considers “the historical roots of our divisions to understand and overcome our differences today.” Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signature.
Tuesday, Feb. 13
“Hesburgh” film screening
6 p.m., McMillan Theater
“Hesburgh” is the story of an inspirational leader who transcended all societal norms to bring people together from all walks of life around the world during the civil rights era. From his early years as a priest to his tenure as the president of the University of Notre Dame, Theodore Hesburgh became a leading voice in the civil rights movement, an advisor to several U.S. presidents and a champion of social justice causes.
Monday, Feb. 19
Under the Eye of Power: How Fear of Secret Societies Shapes American Democracy
6 p.m., Leonard Auditorium
The “Defining or Dividing? Issues in American Culture and History” series continues with Dr. Colin Dickey’s “Under the Eye of Power: How Fear of Secret Societies Shapes American Democracy.” Dickey explores how and why paranoia and conspiratorial thinking have been consistent and fundamental elements in American social and political thought since the republic’s foundation. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signature.
Wednesday, Feb. 21
Russian Disinformation
4 p.m., TBD
Dr. Darren Linvill of Clemson University will speak about Russian disinformation.
ARTS
Thursday, Feb. 22
Artist Talk with Maggie Genoble
5 p.m., Richardson Family Art Gallery
Whetsell Fellow Maggie Genoble ’24 will discuss her current exhibition, “Touchy Subjects.” Genoble is an interdisciplinary artist working within feminist and queer studies as it relates to the emergence of new technology. She works across a range of media, utilizing sculpture, video and installation to generate hybrid figures in a time when the human body is highly digitized and politicized.
Feb. 6-May 18
Artists Collecting Artists
Richardson Family Art Museum
Featuring contemporary artwork by both local and international artists, “Artists Collecting Artists” is a multimedia exploration of the principles and elements of art as they intersect with the concept of identity. This exhibition offers a unique perspective on artists and their work through the lens of Jiha and Andy Moon Wilson, two established artists and collectors themselves. This collection includes print, photography, sculpture, paintings and drawings. The addition of these 21st-century works extends Wofford’s existing mission: to enhance cultural significance and community enrichment for students, faculty, staff and the general public. Curated by Dr. Youmi Efurd’s Museum Studies class.