Black History Month Continues with Caribbean Day, Black Male Summit
Old Dominion University will continue its Black History Month celebration, "African Americans and the Civil War: Legacy of Vision, Promise and Hope," with Caribbean Day on Thursday, Feb. 24, and the annual Black Male Summit, "The State of the Black Male," on Friday, Feb. 25.
"Identity and Ideology: An Exploration of the Effects of Colonization on the Caribbean" is the theme of this year's annual Caribbean Day, which will be held Thursday, Feb. 24, in Webb Center. The program will begin at 12:30 p.m. with the Caribbean Knowledge Fair and continue throughout the day with engaging cultural dialogue, displays and performances. The next day ODU will host the Black Male Summit, an annual event that addresses the social and cultural dynamics that impact the personal development of collegiate black males. The event will begin at 6 p.m. in the North Cafeteria of Webb Center.
Gordon V. Husbands, executive director of Trinidad and Tobago's Penal Reform and Transformation Unit, a division of the Ministry of Justice, will give the keynote presentation at 6 p.m. in the Hampton/Newport News Room. Husbands, who has had a 30-year career in prison service, has served as a corrections specialist with the Penal Reform and Transformation Unit and as chief prisons welfare officer with the Prison Service of Trinidad and Tobago and the Ministry of National Security.
Earlier in the day, a panel discussion, "Identity and Ideology: An Exploration of the Effects of Colonization on the Caribbean," will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the Newport News Room. Kideste Wilder-Bonner, ODU lecturer of African American, African studies and sociology and criminal justice, will moderate the discussion. Panelists include Fitzgerald Hinds, member of Parliament for Trinidad and Tobago; and ODU associate professors Dawn Rothe and Ingrid Whitaker, both of the sociology and criminal justice department.
A panel discussion on "The Impact of Globalization on the Caribbean" will be held at 3 p.m. in the Hampton/Newport News Room. Panelists include Jody-Ann Jones, David Simmonds and Stephen Magu, all doctoral candidates at ODU.
Caribbean Day will wrap up with "A Taste of the Caribbean," featuring a performance by Mosaic Steel Orchestra, directed by William A. Hailey, beginning at 7 p.m. The African Caribbean Association will conclude the day's festivities, starting at 8 p.m., with a dance performance and carnival costume show. These evening events will take place in the North Cafeteria.
The Black Male Summit will begin at 6 p.m. Friday with a corporate session on "Reaching The Summit: Reclaiming Brotherhood," featuring James Peterson, an assistant professor at Bucknell University. His talk is titled "Major Figures: Literary Approaches to Hip Hop Cultures." Dinner will begin at 7 p.m. with a panel discussion on "The State of the Black Male." Panelists include: Ron J. Clark, CEO of Ronjclark.org; Rashard J. Wright, principal of Kecoughtan High School; Ronnie Cameron, ODU student and football captain; and Richard Mason, Owens Family, LLC. There is no fee to attend the summit, but registration is required (https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dDBhR3A5SlJHRzk5bHJaTDdCSlpnT3c6MQ).
The Black History Month schedule of events is as follows:
Saturday, Feb. 26
9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. - Batten Arts and Letters Building, rooms 1003, 1004 and 1005
"Ebony Impact 13th Annual East Coast Gospel Fest: Authenticating Our Worship" - Festival workshops will be held throughout the day.
7-10 p.m. - North Cafeteria, Webb Center
Ebony Impact Concert - Tickets are $5 for students and $7 for general admission and can be purchased at the Campus Information Center desk in Webb Center or at the door. Sponsor: Ebony Impact Gospel Choir.
Monday, Feb. 28, 7-9 p.m. - Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Galleries.
"Harlem Renaissance" - Celebrate the Harlem Renaissance through this art exhibit featuring a variety of work from the turn of the 20th century to today. Sponsor: ODU NAACP.
For more information about these events, call the ODU Office of Intercultural Relations at 683-4406.