Clark State College will celebrate Black History Month with a February calendar full of virtual events and opportunities for students and the community.
“Black History Month is acknowledged at Clark State by celebrating and honoring the achievements of past and present African American cultures and encouraging everyone in our communities - this month especially - to take the time and action to highlight the stories of those who helped shape the nation we live in today,” said Raphael Allen, admissions specialist at Clark State. “As a proud African American myself, I am happy to be a part of an organization such as Clark State that recognizes and embraces the importance of Black History for not only in the month of February but throughout the year.”
Allen said Clark State will host a series of virtual events this month aiming to celebrate, educate, and encourage the Clark State family and communities.
In addition to the virtual celebrations, Clark State is seeking soul food recipes from the community.
“I define soul food as a traditional way to describe African American cuisine. In my childhood, I have been told that it is good for the ‘soul,’” said Crystal Jones, vice president of marketing, diversity and community impact for Clark State. “Soul food is made with love. Historically, soul food recipes have been shared throughout generations. So, it’s more than just a recipe, but a family’s story.”
Those interested in sharing a soul food recipe should send in a picture of the completed recipe along with a list of ingredients and preparation instructions. The goal is to receive enough soul food recipes to create a community cookbook.
On February 25, Clark State will again partner with Mercy Health to offer the community an opportunity to discuss health in the black community. The virtual event will include a panel of health experts who will dispel myth from fact in a question & answer session to begin at 6:00 p.m. The panelists are Tedros Andom M.D., Kasi Gardner, MS, RN and Kathy Harris, LPN, MBA, RMA (AMT).
Here is the link for this event: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/208549181210770958
Heath questions and soul food recipes can be submitted through February 17 to Dr. Naureen Qasim at Qasimn@clarkstate.edu.
Clark State Black History Month Virtual Events
Thursday, February 11 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Catch the Mic
A Virtual poetry slam for both Clark State students and the community to come out and share their own pieces of work. Interested in signing up to participate in our virtual Spoken Word session? There will be a total of five scheduled performers. Please sign up by emailing allenr1@clarkstate.edu. Readings must be 5 minutes or less. Our Open Mic session at the end of the night will be open to the public and is first-come-first-serve for anyone interested in sharing their poetry.
Here is the link to this event: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/311211229
Call in option: +1-872-240-3212
Access Code: 311-211-229
Friday, February 19 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: Paint & Sip
Paint, sip, and celebrate Black History through art! This virtual event, hosted by the Diversity Committee, will be guided by local professional artist Zuri Cole. From the comfort of your home, you will create a masterpiece that is suitable for framing. Bring a beverage and join us for a relaxing evening with your Clark State family & friends as Mrs. Cole shares her artistic journey and the artist that influences her creations. We'll provide everything you need to create your painting, but space is limited so register today!
Please register for the event online at:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/regi.../3038873530460402443
Monday, February 22 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: NAACP Virtual Meet & Greet
Join President Williams of the local Springfield National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to hear more about the history and agenda of our local NAACP Chapter! This is also a time to share any concerns over racial issues within our community. Let’s come together for not only comradery and engagement, but for empowerment and change, as well. To submit questions for the event’s question and answer session beforehand, please email Tabitha Parker at parkert@clarkstate.edu.
Here is the link to the event:
https://us.bbcollab.com/guest/35059d06547249e48153a2b44caa8d42
Call in option: +1-571-392-7650 PIN: 265 345 7232
Thursday, February 25 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.: African-American Read-In
Choose any text by an African American author or author of African descent. Spend the month of February reading your chosen text and then share your reading experience at our read-in.
We call this a “read-in” rather than a “read-out” to honor the Greensboro sit-ins during 1960’s civil rights protest. Young African-American students staged a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter of a local restaurant. They refused to leave after being denied service due to the color of their skin, leading to many of their arrests. Their courage spread to more college towns throughout the south –reiterating what we know is the truth: separate is not equal.
Here is the link to the event:
https://us.bbcollab.com/.../d7ee2f08652e4602a5ea4dc29fd3dce0
Call in option: +1-571-392-7650 PIN: 651 058 2925