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Black History Month will be celebrated on NOVA’s campuses and online with a series of events showcasing Black excellence in poetry, film, music, history, and many more fields. The month’s activities began with an important discussion about justice in the African American community with members of George Floyd's family.
Registration is required for many of these events, and the links for registration and further information can be found in the descriptions below.
Please note that this list will be updated on a regular basis throughout the month. For the most up-to-date information about an event you’re interested in attending, please check this page. For press inquiries, contact the Office of Media Relations at hdnguyen@nvcc.edu.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Thursday, February 3
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
DEI Spotlight Event: Angela Harrelson and Paris Stevens, the aunt and cousin of George Floyd.
Angela Harrelson and Paris Stevens have held a series of discussions about justice in the African American community under the title of “I Can’t Breathe,” and they will bring this important discussion to NOVA on February 3rd. This event is presented by the Office of DEI and the Woodbridge Campus, through a grant from the Micron Foundation. For more information about this event, or if you need accommodations to attend, please contact the Office of DEI.
Location: Workforce Development Center (Ballroom 160C), Woodbridge Campus. Registration is required. This event can also be watched via livestream.
Monday, February 7
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Celebrating the Impact of African American Singers in Opera, by Dr. John Wulff
Learn the stories of five African American opera singers on the world stage. This event is presented by the Loudoun DEI Committee. For more information about this event, or if you need accommodations to attend, please contact Associate Dean Saleha Bholat.
Location: LC-309, Loudoun Campus
Wednesday, February 9
3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Soul Food Bites: Jazz and the Civil Rights Movement
Join Student Life to celebrate Black History Month! At this event, we will discuss jazz and it's connection to the Civil Rights Movement. There will also be a live performance. This event is presented by the Office of Student Life. For more information about this event, please refer to the Virtual Student Union.
Location: Virtual
Thursday February 10
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
A Celebration of Douglass Day! Mary Church Terrell Transcribe-a-thon
In honor of Frederick Douglass' chosen birthday, February 14th, each year the Colored Conventions Project (CCP) a digital humanities effort, chooses to highlight the works of an important figure in Black history. This year, the CCP will recognize the works of Mary Church Terrell (1863 - 1954): educator, suffragist, and civil rights leader. During the amazing span of Terrell's life, she witnessed Reconstruction, became one of the first African American women to earn a college degree, helped lead the women's suffrage movement and the women's club movement, lived through Jim Crow, and fought school desegregation through Brown. Her remarkable life is a march through major movements in American history, and students transcribing her papers will learn about these important periods through her words. Assistant Professor Susan Monroe will give a talk about the life of Mary Church Terrell on Thursday, February 10th, between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. Also, all campuses are invited to participate in a transcribe-a-thon on February 14th from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. More information about how to take part can be found at the Douglass Day commemoration website. For more information about these events, please contact Assistant Professor Susan Monroe.
Location: Jean Braden Center for Women, Gender, and Social Equity, Bisdorf Room 331, Alexandria campus.
Friday February 11
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
The True Black History Museum
Hear from Fred Saffold III, the founder of The True Black History Museum – a Black history exhibit with artifacts dating from the late 1700s to the 21st century. This collection takes you on a journey through the African American experience and is comprised of over 1,000 authentic artifacts with original documents from historic figures such as Booker T. Washington, Mary McLeod Bethune, George Washington Carver, Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, Angela Davis, President Barack Obama, and many other great African Americans. Register here to attend. This event is presented by the Office of Student Life. For more information about this event, or if you need accommodations to attend, please refer to the Virtual Student Union.
Location: Virtual
Tuesday, February 15
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
4 Poets
Four prominent and local African American poets read and discuss their work. Featuring award-winning poets Tara Campbell, Teri Cross Davis, Dr. Tony Medina, and Poet Laureate of Prince William County Kim B. Miller. This event is presented by the Office of DEI through a grant from the Micron Foundation.
Location: Virtual. Registration is required.
Tuesday, February 15
2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Food for Thought: Intersectionality, A Talk with Sara Kaplan
A discussion on the importance of intersectionality with Sara Kaplan, director of American University's Antiracism Policy Center. Professor Kaplan co-founded and served as associate director of the Black Studies Project, and her scholarship and teaching are focused on African American and African Diaspora literature and cultures and Black/women of color feminisms. This event is presented by the Alexandria Campus and the Office of DEI.
Location: Virtual. Click here to register.
Wednesday, February 16
1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Freedom Riders: Do You Know the Facts? With Josephine Mourning
Ms. Mourning will discuss the Civil Rights Act and the demonstrations that led up to it. Ms. Mourning is the President of the Prince George's Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a civil-rights organization established by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., among others. She served over 10 years as the Chairperson of the Prince George's Chapter of SCLC. She serves on the 202 Coalition, an organization headed by Senator Joanne Benson, that keeps the community up to date on political and social action. She is the recipient of the SCLC Volunteer Service Award on behalf of the Prince George's County SCLC branch from President Barack Obama. Ms. Mourning has served as the Guest Speaker at Bowie State University for Black History Month, the Keynote Speaker for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Keynote Speaker for Black History Month for the Cheverly Women's Auxiliary, and does guest speaking engagements at local schools.
Location: CA-302, Annandale Campus
Wednesday, February 16
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
HBCU Virtual Transfer Showcase
During the event, students, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to engage in breakout sessions featuring representatives from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), including from the following institutions: Bowie State University, Elizabeth City State University, Hampton University, Howard University, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T, Norfolk State University, and Virginia State University. In addition, participants will hear about the transfer experience from a panel of VCCS alumni. This event is presented by the VCCS Transfer Advising Peer Group. For questions regarding this event, please contact Jennifer Nelson (jlnelson@nvcc.edu) or Corri Sullivan (cpsullivan@nvcc.edu).
Location: Virtual, registration is required.
Thursday, February 17
12:30 - 2:00 p.m.
Black Farmers Symposium
A panel of four Black agriculturists will share their knowledge about starting, sustaining, and growing a business in agriculture. Panelists include:
- Kara Brewer Boyd, event coordinator for the National Black Farmers Association, is an expert on starting and sustaining business in agriculture. She will share information about small scale agriculture and what it takes to earn the distinction of being an American Farmer.
- Allan Lanton is an established African American farmer with extensive experience in aquaculture, a sustainable agricultural practice that used the respiration of fish to feed plant crops in soilless mediums.
- Deanna Middlebrooks is starting a new agriculture venture on her family farm alongside her extended family members who have been growing and selling plants for generations. Deanna will share the story of how she and her family use the land to support the different stages of their lives.
- Kimani Anku is a DMV native who found a love of farming and gardening through unconventional means and has turned his passion into a thriving garden coaching service. He recently acquired three acres of land outside Richmond and is taking his gardening skills to the next level by starting a farm to produce food for the community.
Open to all students, faculty, staff, and community members. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and get ideas about how to get involved in agriculture. For more information about this event, or if you need accommodations to attend, please contact Lawrence Nightingale at lnightingale@nvcc.edu.
Location: Virtual. Registration is required.
Friday, February 18
Free Trip to the National African American Museum of History and Culture
Thirty free tickets are available for students to visit the National African American Museum of History and Culture! Tickets to the museum and transportation will be provided. To sign-up, visit CF 232 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information about this event, contact Rommel Aguilar at raguilar@nvcc.edu. If you need accommodations for this event, please contact Elizabeth Garibay at egaribay@nvcc.edu by 2/14. This event is sponsored by the Annandale Campus DEI Committee and the Office of Student Life.
Monday, February 21
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Discussing African American Poetry with Professor Bridget Pool
A reading and discussion of poetry by and about African Americans. This event is presented by the Loudoun DEI Committee. For more information about this event, or if you need accommodations to attend, please contact Associate Dean Saleha Bholat.
Location: LC-309, Loudoun Campus
Tuesday, February 22
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
In Search of the Blues: Three Chords and the Truth
The Spring Lyceum Speaker Series brings authors Josephine Matyas and Craig Jones to NOVA to discuss the African American roots of the blues. For more information about this event, or if you need information about accommodations to attend, please contact Melissa Chabot.
Location: CE Forum, Annandale
Tuesday, February 22
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Ashlee Haze
Spoken word artist Ashlee Haze returns to NOVA for another performance. This event is presented by the Office of Student Life and the Medical Education Center (MEC). For more information about this event, please refer to the Virtual Student Union.
Location: Virtual
Wednesday, February 23
3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
King Richard
Armed with a clear vision and a brazen 78-page plan, Richard Williams is determined to write his daughters, Venus and Serena, into history. Training on Compton, California's, neglected tennis courts, the girls are shaped by their father's unyielding commitment and their mother's balanced perspective and keen intuition, defying the seemingly insurmountable odds and prevailing expectations laid before them. Based on a true story, "King Richard" follows the uplifting journey of a family whose unwavering resolve and unconditional belief ultimately delivers two of the world's greatest sports legends. This event is presented by the Office of Student Life. For more information about this event, or if you need accommodations to attend, please refer to the Virtual Student Union.
Location: First show: 3pm in CF 213 (Annandale Campus). Second show: 6pm in CN 103 (Annandale Campus).
Thursday, February 24
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
DEI Spotlight Event: Hip Hop and the Blues
A lively performance and discussion featuring celebrated rappers Raw Poetic and Damu and D.C.’s “Queen of the Blues” Carly Harvey. This event is presented by the Office of DEI and the Annandale Campus, through a grant from the Micron Foundation. For more information, or if you need accommodations to attend, please contact the Office of DEI.
Location: Ernst Center Theater, Annandale.
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
DEI Spotlight Event: Ambassador Joseph Huggins
Ambassador Joseph Huggins had a long and distinguished diplomatic career serving in mid-level and senior positions in the former Soviet Union, Kenya, Guinea, Togo, and Jordan. In Washington, he worked on issues related to Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East. In his last overseas assignment he served as ambassador to the Republic of Botswana and the Secretary of State’s Special Representative to the Southern Africa Development Community, a political and economic organization comprised of fourteen countries in southern Africa. This event is presented by the Office of DEI and the Alexandria Campus. For more information, or if you need accommodations to attend, please contact the Office of DEI.
Location: Bisdorf Room 196, Alexandria Campus.
Monday, February 28
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
The Divine Nine
A discussion of the impact of the Divine 9 fraternities and sororities on American politics. Participants include:
- Former Virginia Secretary of Education and former President of NOVA, current President of SACSOC, Dr. Belle Wheelan (Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated).
- Maryland State Senator (District 23) Dr. Ronald L. Watson (Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated).
- Former President of the National Pan-Hellenic Councils of Syracuse University and the Westchester County Graduate Chapters, and Pastor of the Carter Community AME Church, Reverend Dr. Kevin D. Miller (Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated).
- Former Faith Organize / Faith Vote Coordinator of Obama for America, National Director of the Independent Strategic Research Collaborative, Ms. Allison Pulliam (Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated).
- U.S. Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02) (Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated).
For more information, or if you need accommodations to attend, please contact Dr. Felicia D. Blakeney.
Location: Virtual