Black History Month is a national recognition of the history of Black Americans. The dedicated time started as a week-long event in 1925 and was aimed at raising awareness about African American contributions to civilization. The week became a central part of African American life in the 1950s and expanded to a month in 1976, highlighting the legacies and teachings of Black leaders who advocated for justice. Since then, Black History Month has served as a unique opportunity to recognize the importance of knowing the history of Black Americans and the incredible contributions the Black community has made in American society. The voices of those calling for justice still ring true, and Black History Month is a reminder to listen all year long.

Read more about this history behind Black History Month here: https://blackhistorymonth.gov/about/

NOVA honors Black History Month by offering a variety of events, programs, and activities available in-person and online. Below is a list of upcoming events. Please note that this list will be updated regularly with more information and additional offerings.

If you have an event to add to this list, please contact Sherrene DeLong. ADA accommodation requests should go to the organizers listed.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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The NOVA Libraries are proud to host the National Library of Medicine’s traveling exhibit, This Lead is Killing Us: A History of Citizens Fighting Lead Poisoning in Their Communities. The traveling banner exhibition and companion website explore the story of citizen action taken against an environmental danger. Lead exposure can cause neurological problems and sometimes even death; yet this metal has been pervasive in many aspects of American life for over a century. This series is about public health and activism in Black communities.
The exhibit will rotate amongst the six NOVA Libraries from January 17 through February 24. You can find information on the location of the exhibit on your campus and learn more about the topic of lead poisoning prevention in our online guide.

Exhibit week	Hosting library
January 17, 2023 – January 20, 2023	MEC Library
January 23, 2023 – January 27, 2023	Annandale
January 30, 2023 – February 3, 2023	Loudoun
February 6, 2023 – February 10, 2023	Woodbridge
February 13, 2023 – February 17, 2023	Alexandria
February 20, 2023 – February 25, 2023	Manassas

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Tuesday, February 7
2-3:30pm
Alexandria Campus, AA 196

National Black HIV/Aids Day Workshop

Join the Office of Student Life and the Alexandria Health Department to learn about HIV in the Black community, the efforts to address stigma and ways to prevent new HIV infections

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Tuesday, February 7 and Wednesday, February 8
3pm each day
Annandale Campus, CF 213

Free Movie Screenings of Black Panther and Wakanda Forever!

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Wednesday, February 8
11:10am
Alexandria Campus

Popular Education and Resistance

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Thursday, February 9
2pm
Annandale Campus, Barnes & Noble Café, CA 2nd floor

Trivia Thursday

It’s our (@AN Student Life) favorite day of the week, Trivia Thursday! Come out and compete in teams of up to 4 people in a different trivia topic each week. This week’s theme is Black His-and-Her-story! Each member of the winning team will receive a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble. We’ll see you on February 9th at 2 PM, CA 2nd Floor, Barnes & Noble Café. Don’t miss your chance to play!

For more information, contact Elizabeth Garibay (egaribay@nvcc.edu)

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Thursday, February 9
11am
Woodbridge Campus, The Nest

Black History Month Lunch

Stop by the Nest to pick up some taste Caribbean food. FREE while supplies last.

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Monday, February 13
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Loudoun Campus, Waddell Theater

The Hemmings of Monticello

Round Table Discussion on the descendants of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings of Monticello, presented by Robin Reeves Burke and Pastor Michelle C. Thomas

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Wednesday, February 14
Alexandria Campus

Douglass Day Activities

Each February, the legacy of famed orator and activist Frederick Douglass is commemorated with a crowdsourcing transcription project digitizing the papers of significant African Americans. This year’s Douglass Day will focus on the papers of Mary Ann Shadd Cary(1823-1893), a newspaper publisher, lawyer, and educator in Canada and the United States.    
The Alexandria Campus Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee will host a NOVA Douglass Day Transcribe-a-thon and is looking for individuals and classes sections to participate in person and remotely. Taking part is as easy as logging in to the Douglass Day Web site and choosing a document to transcribe; no special skills other than typing are needed. Participants will be rewarded with a Douglass Day sticker and at least Alexandria, a Douglass Day Cupcake.   
The activity easily fits into History, Writing, Literature and Sociology courses. But almost anyone can find connections and courses. “On the three occasions I have hosted Douglass Day events, I’ve seen how deeply participants get absorbed into the lives of the past. It is easy to get hooked on this type of activity,” says Susan Monroe, English Faculty at Alexandria.

For more information, contact Susan Monroe, Smonroe@nvcc.edu or Laura Garcia Moreyra, LGarciamoreyra@nvcc.edu.

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Wednesday, February 15
2:00-3:00pm
Virtual (Hosted by the Loudoun Campus)

Virtual Keynote featuring Amber Starks/Melanin Mvskoke:
Registration: https://vccs.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEsce6przwsH9bEMkjcnoF2w0LRh3GKEo-X
Amber Starks, a.k.a. Melanin Mvskoke, an Afro-Indigenous (African American and Native American) activist, aspiring cultural critic/commentator, student of decolonial theory, and abolitionist. She is an enrolled member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and is also of Shawnee, Yuchi, Quapaw, and Cherokee descent.

Join her for a Black History Month Keynote on:

• The intersection of Black and Native American identity
• Normalize, affirm, and uplift the multidimensional identities.
• Black liberation and Indigenous Sovereignty
• Moving away from compartmentalizing struggles

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Thursday, February 16
2-3pm
Virtual (Hosted by the Alexandria Campus)

From Rodney King to George Floyd: What I’ve Learned by Living Through These Two Riots

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Thursday, February 16
11am
Woodbridge Campus, The Nest

Black History Month Trivia

Come out and test your knowledge on Black History. Each winner will have a chance to win a gift card. Don't miss your miss chance to play!

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Thursday, February 16
6:30pm – 8:30pm
Virtual

HBCU Transfer Showcase

Are you interested in transferring to an Historically Black College (HBCU) OR just need help with your transfer application? Well look no further. Click on the links below to learn more information.

• Bowie State University
• Delaware State University
• Elizabeth City State University
• Morgan State University
• Norfolk State University
• North Carolina A&T State University
• Virginia State University
• West Virginia State University

HBCU Transfer Showcase:  https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:ad4f5d39-7186-4d04-9c27-21c9fb03dc5d

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Friday, February 17
11:00am – 2:30pm
Virtual

NOVA Student Life 2023 Diversity Institute

On Friday, February 17th we welcome a unique experience with the "Defamation Experience" production. The Experience challenges our preconceived notions about race, class, religion, gender, and even the law. As audience members and then jurors, we learn as much or more about ourselves as we do the plaintiff and the defendant in the production. Participants will engage together in a fully immersive and interactive experience. 

Following the production will be a stellar keynote session led by Mrs. Ashley Gaddy, focusing on intersectionality and moving the mind to action. The event will be a fully virtual experience and follow the scheduled outline below.

• 11:00am - 12:45pm: "The Defamation Experience" & deliberation (Part 1)
• 12:50pm - 1:35pm:  "The Reality of Intersectionality" with keynote Ashley Gaddy (Part 2)
• 1:40pm - 2:30pm: Concluding and Reflecting (Part 3) 

Interested? Register for the NOVA Student Life 2023 Diversity Institute!

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Friday, February 17
2:00pm
MEC

DEI 101: A Gentle and Practical Introduction to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

This workshop offers participants context and tools founded in DEI theory that can be gently integrated into daily practice. Facilitated by Sherrene DeLong, this worship is devoted to bringing DEI into our daily lives.

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The week of February 20
Date/Time TBD
MEC

Trivia with Corrine House

The MEC welcomes back beloved family member, Corrine House, during the last week of February. Join us for a fun-filled trivia game. Test your memory of Black leaders in medicine, learn more about these influential figures, and win NOVA swag!

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The week of February 20
Date/Time TBD
MEC

Black Leaders in Our Professions Gallery

MEC programs will present a poster/trifold to display the week of February 20th spotlighting a Black leader or caucus in their field.

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The week of February 20
MEC

Black Leaders in Medicine

Keep your eyes on the campus LCD monitors this month as the MEC DEI Committee has kicked off an information campaign, highlighting Black leaders in the health sciences, nursing, and medical fields. Your attention to and memory of these exceptional leaders will be rewarded!!!

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Monday, February 20
11:00am-3:00pm
Loudoun Campus, LC Café

Black History Month Embroidery Kits

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Monday, February 20
1:00 – 2:00pm
Loudoun Campus, HEC Conference Center

From Trauma to Triumph

Round Table Discussion on the Impact of Segregated Schools in Loudoun County, presented by Pastor Michelle C. Thomas, President of NAACP, Loudoun Branch

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Monday, February 20
2:30pm – 4:00pm
Loudoun Campus, HEC Conference Center

They are ALL Honored: Video Presentation of the Thoughts and Reflections of Students from Alexandria City High School

In the fall of 2022, the Remembrance Project of the Alexandria City Mayor’s Office invited a group of students and staff from Alexandria City High School to join them in a pilgrimage to deliver the ashes of two Alexandria natives – who were lynched in the late 1800s and early 1900s - to the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. Students and staff also visited the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Brown Chapel AME Church, and crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

Student Presenters: Jason Reid, Max Rocchio, Ben Delnegro and TV/Production Teacher Ms. Vilma Zefran from Alexandria City High School (Video presentation of the thoughts and reflections of students who participated in the pilgrimage to the Legacy Museum). 

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Wednesday, February 22
12-1pm
Alexandria Campus

DEI Spotlight Event: Q&A with Host of Afro-Latino Travels with Kim Haas

Kim is the executive producer, host, and creator of Afro-Latino Travels with Kim Haas, a travel show celebrating the African influence in Latin America. Her travels have taken her to meet Black people in Venezuela, Cuba, Peru, Mexico, and more, exploring their lived experiences and historic contributions to local art, food, music, dance, and culture.

This event is sponsored by Micron.

For more information, contact Martha Davis (mdavis@nvcc.edu) or Sherrene DeLong (sdelong@nvcc.edu)

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Wednesday, February 22
11am
Woodbridge Campus, The Nest

Black History Month: Paint By Number

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Wednesday, February 22
1:00pm-2:00pm
Annandale Campus, CC Blackbox Theater

Free Screening: The Ginny Battle Story

For more information, contact JoAnn Credle (jcredle@nvcc.edu)

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Thursday, February 23
11:30am-1:00pm
Woodbridge Campus

Black Farmer’s Symposium

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Thursday, February 23
1:00 – 2:30pm
Loudoun Campus, HEC Conference Center

Reflections on the Significance of Black History Month in the Context of Present-Day America

Panel of Speakers:

• Dr. Jen Rainey (Dean, LASS Division)
• Dr. Jen Daniels (Dean, Inclusive Excellence)
• Professor Mike Polcen (Loudoun Campus Forum)
• Representative from the Office of Student Services

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Thursday, February 23
2:30pm -3:30pm
Loudoun Campus, LC Café

Poetry reading with Sadiyah Bashir:

A poet and freelance writer. Bashir took to poetry as a means of self-expression to then becoming a two-time youth Grand Slam champion. Her poetry has been showcased for media outlets such as Al-Jazeera and commissioned by Apple and Penny Appeal USA. Bashir’s articles have been published by the Independent, Wear Your Voice Mag and Nazar Newsletter.

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Thursday, February 23
6:00pm
Annandale Campus, CE Forum

Soul Food Dinner: Ginny Battle, a Change Maker

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Friday, February 24
8:30am-1pm
Alexandria Campus

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Friday, February 24
2pm
Virtual

Democracy (series)| Maturals — Senior citizen lifelong learning program   

More info soon

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Monday, February 27
1:00 – 2:00pm
Loudoun Campus, HEC Conference Center

Preservation Sisters: Preserving Black History in Loudoun Country

Telling the Untold Stories in Loudoun County. Presenters:

• Pastor Michelle C. Thomas, President of NAACP, Loudoun Branch
• Donna Bohannon, Chair of the Friends of the Thomas Balch Library’s Black History Committee
• Lori Kimball, Member of the Friends of the Thomas Balch Library’s Black History Committee
• Heidi E. Siebentritt, Historic Preservation Planner and Archaeologist

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Tuesday, February 28
2-3pm
Alexandria Campus, AA 158

Black History Month Trivia

60 questions in 60 minutes.  Who will get the most right the fastest and win an awesome prize?

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