YSU celebrates African American History Month

Youngstown State University’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion presents the following events as part of African America History Month:

Tuesday, Feb. 8, 5 p.m., “Living at the intersection of gender and race: The experience of a Black professor teaching at a PWI,” with Cryshanna Jackson, YSU professor of Politics and International Relations. Watch the virtual lecture here (Meeting ID 957 2346 8877, Passcode 089559).

Wednesday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m., “Shades of Blue: A historical, sociological understanding of the development of law enforcement and the experiences of Black Law Enforcement officers,” in the Lariccia Room of Jones Hall on the YSU campus. Watch the virtual presentation here (Meeting ID 960 0473 3745, Passcode 836962).

Wednesday, Feb. 16, 6 p.m. “The Black Church and White Theology,” with Rev. Dr. Theron Williams, head pastor of Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Indianapolis. The presentation explores White theological rhetoric that many have applied to Black social movements, aligning the same ambivalence White clergy had with Martin Luther King Jr. to the current Black Lives Matter movement. Watch the virtual presentation here (Meeting ID 955 6404 8244, Passcode: 512148).

Wednesday, Feb. 23, 4 p.m., a presentation by Tameka N. Ellington, associate professor of Design at the Kent State University’s Fashion School and interim assistant dean for the KSU College of the Arts, in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center on the YSU campus. The event is coordinated by the YSU Black Student Union. Ellington is also the chief executive and founder of First Generation Revolutionaries.

Thursday, Feb. 24, 5 p.m., “Learning from the elders,” in the Rossi Room of Kilcawley Center on the YSU campus. The event is coordinated by the YSU Black Student Union.

Saturday, Feb. 26, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., “Men of Color Summit - When They See Us: Navigating the world in your authentic self,” in the Larricia Room of Jones Hall on the YSU campus, with Malik Mostella and the Revs. Kenneth Donaldson Sr. and Lewis Macklin. Register here to receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Other YSU campus events for African American History Month include:

Thursday, Feb. 24, 12:30 p.m., “Obstacles and Opportunities: The Future of Black Media,” a panel discussion featuring three local journalists, in the auditorium of the Williamson College of Business Administration on campus. The free public event is sponsored by the Youngstown Press Club, the YSU Department of Communication’s Anderson Program in Journalism and YSU’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Due to COVID protocols, masks are required. 

Ongoing. “This, That and the Other (The Way I See It),” an exhibit of the work of photographer and YSU alum James Rogers Jr., in the Judith Rae Solomon Gallery on the second floor of Bliss Hall. The gallery is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. Rogers, earned a bachelor’s in Commercial Art from YSU in 1972 and is currently a freelance writer and photographer.