By Avery Ballmann | Staff Writer
February is Black History Month, so this month, Baylor and the city of Waco are hosting several events to celebrate Black history in the United States.
CAE credits
There are many online options to celebrate Black History Month that can be found through Baylor Connect.
Feb. 5 | 3 p.m. | “The Lorraine Hansberry Documentary” | This film is about the creation of the play “A Raisin in the Sun.” The play was written in 1959 about a lower-income family receiving $10,000 from a life insurance policy and the newfound money causes tensions amongst the family. The documentary includes cameos of the original cast.
Feb. 6 | 3 p.m. | “Black Art: In the Absence of Light” | This feature documentary covers the “Two Centuries of Black American Art” exhibit created by David Driskell. The exhibit is the first survey of African American art which premiered at Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1976.
Feb. 7 | 3 p.m. | “Miss Juneteenth” | This film was written and directed by Baylor alumnus Channing Godfrey Peoples. “Miss Juneteenth” is a movie about a single mom and a former teen beauty queen who enters her daughter in a local Miss Juneteenth pageant. This film has received awards from South by Southwest and BlackStar Film Festival.
Feb. 8 | 3 p.m. | “Ravyn Lenae: Tiny Desk Concert” | This is a series hosted by National Public Radio (NPR) Music where artists and their bands are invited to the studio to perform their songs at a tiny desk. Ravyn Lanae is a contemporary R&B artist who just recently released her EP, “Moon Shoes.”
Feb. 9-10 | 3 p.m. | Poetry Readings | Porsha Olayiwola is a writer, performer and futurist according to her website. Olayiwola uses Afro-Futurism, a movement in literature, music and art using futuristic themes involving Black history.
On campus
Feb. 5 | 6:30 p.m. | Jazz ‘N’ Stanzaz | Located in the SUB Den, this is hosted by Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, chartered at Baylor in 1972. This event is an open mic night for people to share a song or a poem in honor of Black History Month.
Feb. 23 | 3:30 p.m. | Black History in the Archives | Carroll Library | Attendees will learn more about Black history in Waco through historical photos and more.
Off campus
Feb. 11 | 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Black History Month Walking Tour | Starts at the McLennan County Courthouse and ends on Washington Avenue | Led by the Baylor Institute for Oral History’s Adrienne Cain and Dr. Stephen Sloan, the tour will explore local African American history in downtown Waco.
All month long | Mayborn Museum Complex | Artifact Spotlights will be posted on the Mayborn’s social media. Inside the museum, there is an African American history and Dust Bowl of the 1930s exhibit that will be displayed throughout the month of February.
