MSU celebrates Black History Month with arts events, Shackouls lecture
Contact: Carl Smith
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擣rom art exhibits and line dancing to a lecture on artificial intelligence鈥檚 future roles in the humanities, 海角社区 is celebrating Black History Month with numerous events throughout February.
Event sponsors include MSU鈥檚 African American Studies Program, Department of Art, Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College and Office of Inclusive Excellence.
鈥擣eb. 3-21, Called to Create: Celebrating Black Artists, Colvard Student Union Art Gallery. This event features multiple forms of Black art pieces from students and community members. A reception will be held at the gallery on Feb. 21 at 6:30 p.m.
鈥擣eb. 5, 2 p.m., Prince Among Slaves: The Story of Abdul Rahman Ibrahima in Mississippi, Grisham Room, Mitchell Memorial Library. This presentation is led by Roscoe Barnes III, an author, journalist and historian with a Ph.D. from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, who serves as Visit Natchez鈥檚 cultural heritage tourism manager.
鈥Feb. 7, 鈥淎 Conversation with Dr. Kemeshia Swanson and Jesmyn Ward." This MSU Television Center production will be available on the MSU African American Studies Program and Department of English webpages. Visit and for more information.
鈥擣eb. 7, noon-1 p.m., Why Not Me? Black History Month Panel, Tully Auditorium, Thompson Hall. Franklin Quin Jr., assistant professor, MSU Department of Sustainable Bioproducts; Ricki Moore, conservation educator, Mississippi Museum of Natural Science and Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks; and Corey Bacon, forestry outreach specialist, Federation of Southern Cooperatives, will discuss their career paths and experiences. A light reception will follow.
鈥擣eb. 12, 4 p.m., Shackouls Honors College Orators Lecture Series: AI and the Future of Humanities: Michele Elam, the William Robertson Coe Professor in the Humanities and Senior Fellow of the Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence and Bass University Fellow in Undergraduate Education at Stanford University, will deliver the final Shackouls Honors College Orators Lecture鈥擶riting Humanity鈥檚 Next Chapter: Artistic Expressions in the Time of AI鈥 for the year. Her work is at the forefront of reassessments about the integration of AI and the humanities. She will be joined by her husband, Stanford Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Harry Elam, a noted theatre scholar specializing on August Wilson.
鈥Feb. 19, 5:30-7 p.m., Poetry Reading and Book Signing Featuring A.H. Jerriod Avant, Fowlkes Auditorium, Colvard Student Union. Avant is a Grisham Writer-in-Residence at the University of Mississippi and the author of 鈥淢uscadine.鈥
鈥擣eb. 20, Journey Through the Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson. This event is a guided tour of the exhibits New Symphony of Time and Of Salt and Spirit: Black Quilters in the American South.
鈥擣eb. 20, 7 p.m., Step by Step: Line Dancing Legacy, Foster Ballroom U, Colvard Student Union. Attendees will enjoy a step-by-step guide to mastering iconic line dances, with a focus on music and moves that have shaped generations.
鈥擣eb. 27, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Pathways to Belonging: Empowering Students Across Campus, Coskrey Auditorium, Memorial Hall. This engaging and interactive workshop focuses on supporting underrepresented students as they navigate various identities. Lunch will be provided.
鈥擣eb. 28, noon-1 p.m., Why Not Me? Black History Month Speaker, Tully Auditorium, Thompson Hall. Society of American Foresters CEO Terry Baker will discuss his career in the forestry industry, which includes almost 20 years of service as an USDA district ranger. A light reception will follow.
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