CommUNITY Day Marks Beginning of African American History Month Activities
The Cadena Cultural and Transfer Center has teamed up with Associated Students to host CommUNITY Day on Feb. 17, the first of many celebratory events in honor of African American History Month.
“In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King’s call for community service, we want to emphasize ‘community’ and ‘unity’ across our campus,” said Cadena Coordinator Vincent White. “We want our students to understand the importance of being actively involved on campus and connect them with resources to help them evoke the spirit of community.”
Collaborative efforts among A.S. leaders and the Cadena Cultural Center resulted in hosting CommUNITY Day as a theme to the first A.S. Club and College Day of the spring semester. The event will feature a resource fair to introduce new and returning students to student government and clubs, campus programs, services, and will also feature art, music, and community resources to help connect students with service opportunities. All activities will take place on the Quad, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
CommUNITY Day will also help kickoff a series of African American History Month events hosted by the Cadena Cultural Center, Umoja, and Ethnic Studies. Additional events include:
- African American Forum on Thursday, Feb. 18, 12 – 1:30 p.m. in Room 224
The 2nd annual forum will feature a keynote by Cadena Cultural Center Specialist Brandi Avila on the topic of “Black Lives Matter.” Avila has an M.A. in Sociology from Cal State Northridge. The forum will include a group discussion and a social hour.
- Beat Café (Open Mic) on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 4 – 7 p.m. in Room 212
The Beat Café returns to FC as an annual tradition that showcases the poetic and musical talents of students, faculty and staff. Coffee and snacks will be available.
- Educational Screenings of:
- Freedom Riders (PBS Documentary) on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2 – 4 p.m. in Room 212
The powerful harrowing and ultimately inspirational story of six months in 1961 that changed America forever, when more than 400 black and white Americans risked their lives traveling together on buses and trains as they journeyed through the Deep South. Deliberately violating Jim Crow laws, the Freedom Riders met with bitter racism and mob violence along the way, sorely testing their belief in non-violent activism.
- The Heart of Whiteness, a recorded lecture by Dr. Robert Jensen on Monday, Feb. 29, 2-3:30 p.m. in Room 212
This recorded lecture by Dr. Robert Jensen of the School of Journalism at the University of Texas offers an honest and rigorous exploration of what Jensen refers to as the depraved nature of whiteness in the United States. Jensen visited Fullerton College in 2009 to give a lecture on his book, The Heart of Whiteness, which explores the topics of race, racism and white privilege. His book is used by many Fullerton College classes.
- Tour of the California African American Museum and USC on Friday, Feb. 26, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
All events are open to students, staff, and the community. A RSVP is required for the tour of the California African American Museum and USC. For more information visit http://cadena.fullcoll.edu
