Delta College is celebrating Black History Month (BHM) from February 1 – 28 with a series of themed events to recognize the cultural influence and historical impacts of the Black community—past and present.
Keynote speaker event
This year’s theme for Black History Month is African Americans and Labor. It focuses on the profound ways work—free and unfree, skilled and unskilled, vocational and voluntary—intersect with the collective experiences of Black people. As such, Delta College has invited Gerald Kariem, retired vice president and director of the United Auto Workers (UAW) Ford Department, to speak on his extensive history in the labor union.
This insightful event is planned for Friday, February 28 at 6pm in Pioneer Gym. It will be followed by a Q&A discussion and reception.
This event is free and open to the public. For reasonable accommodations, contact BEDI Services at 989-686-9017 or email diversity@delta.edu.
More Black History Month events
The following events are all free and open to the public.
If you need to request reasonable accommodations for any of the events, please contact BEDI Services at 989-686-9017 or email diversity@delta.edu.
African Diaspora in Masks
All month at the Downtown Saginaw Center
African Diaspora in Masks is a public art exhibition that will be on display for the full month of February at the Downtown Saginaw Center located at 319 E. Genesee Avenue.
Student Showcase
Tuesday, February 4, 5:30 – 7pm in the Lecture Theater (G160, main campus)
This event celebrates Black history and culture through student-driven creative expressions, including art, performances and spoken word. It provides an opportunity for students to showcase their talents, share their perspectives and contribute to the ongoing conversation about Black history and its impact.
Hidden Figures Movie Screening
Thursday, February 6, 5:30 – 8pm
Delta College Planetarium, Downtwon Bay City
Delta College main campus, N007 (lower level)
Downtwon Saginaw Center, multipurpose room
Join Delta College BEDI Services for a movie night to celebrate STEM and Black History. Doors open at 5:30pm and the movie will begin playing at 6pm. Refreshments and activity packs will be provided along with an opportunity to sign up for a new book club.
Hidden Figures is a book and movie dramatization of actual events sharing the stories of Katherine G. Johnson, Mary W. Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan—Black women who served as computers, mathematicians and engineers at NASA between the 1940s and 1970s.
Black Oral Tradition (BOT)
Monday, February 10, 2 – 4pm in N007 (main campus)
The tradition of oral storytelling is cherished in Black culture as the practice passes down history, knowledge and wisdom through spoken narratives. It began as a way to preserve identity and resilience particularly during the period of slavery when literacy was restricted. This event celebrates this tradition by providing an opportunity to hear the unique stories of Black community members.
BEDI Lunch & Learn
Rosa Parks and the Women of the Civil Rights Movement
Wednesday, February 12, noon – 1:30pm in S105 (main campus)
During this session, we will share stories of some of the prominent and less prominent women who helped to lead the changes that developed into the American Civil Rights movement. This session will create space for learning and discussion on which stories we tell and how that impacts our perceptions of the past and present. Lunch provided.
National African American Read-in
Wednesday, February 12, 1:30 – 2:30pm in S105 (main campus)
This event is focused on centering African American poets and authors. It is a national event established in 1990 by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English to make literacy a significant part of Black History Month. Readings may include excerpts from selected books, speeches or poems authored by African Americans. Bookmarks and snacks will be available for attendees.
Summer of Soul Movie Screening
Wednesday, February 19, noon – 2:30pm in S105 (main campus)
A powerful and transporting documentary—part music film, part historical record—created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was largely forgotten—until now. Summer of Soul, by filmmaker and musical artist Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past and present. The feature includes concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension and more.
BEDI Professional Development – Anti-Racism
Thursday, February 20, 1 – 2:30pm in N007 (main campus)
Dr. Ken Jolly will host an activity and discussion-based session that builds on concepts covered in previous sessions (intersectionality, social identity, racial healing, etc.). These ideas will be reviewed, and an intersectional framework will be provided for addressing systemic issues to move beyond a siloed approach to a collaborative effort to address systemic change.
