Clarion University Office of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity Education has scheduled several online events to mark Black History Month. All events are free and open to the public.
- "Love and Lyrics: A Black History Month Collaboration," will kick off the series at 7 p.m. Feb. 12. iCon, a spoken word artist known as one of the top slam poets in the world, and Ivy Roots, an up-and-coming singer/songwriter from the Midwest, will join for the program.
As a teaching artist, iCon conducts workshops for youth and for individuals who are incarcerated to help them find their voices. She uses her words and her work to speak on topics related to race, women's issues, self discovery and love.
Ivy Roots' style ranges from feel good 90s R&B/HipHop to acoustic music, Neo Soul and Pop. Ivy has graced a wide variety of stages, from local community events to regional festivals and New York's Lincoln Center.
Edinboro University's Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is co-sponsoring the presentation. To attend, click here and use passcode 486478.
- Nationally acclaimed, "The Defamation Experience" is set for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 15. The program begins with a riveting courtroom drama that explores the highly charged issues of race, class, religion, gender and the law with a twist: The audience is the jury. Combined with an audience deliberation and facilitated discussion, "The Defamation Experience" is a unique opportunity for your community to engage in civil discourse about the most pressing social issues of our day. The audience members self-examine their own biases and how they affect perceptions and assumptions.
Clarion's Martin Luther King Jr. Committee is co-sponsor. To attend, click here.
- Eric Deggans will present "Building Bridges Instead of Walls: Decoding Media's Confusing Coverage of Race and Culture" at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 22. A TV and media critic with more than 20 years of experience, Deggans covers TV and media issues for National Public Radio, providing critiques on these issues for millions of listeners each week. In addition to his work at NPR, Eric serves as a contributor and media analyst for MSNBC and NBC News.
In Deggans' presentations, he asserts that by focusing on its core audience, Fox News Channel denies systemic racism and echoes longtime prejudices. He covers media's use of confrontation and the resulting rise in anxieties among viewers and in social friction, and he shows how news consumption can be different, based on the consumer's political ideology.
To attend, visit click here.
- Author Deesha Philyaw will present "African American Read-in" at 2 p.m. Feb. 25. Her debut short story collection, "The Secret Lives of Church Ladies," was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction and for The Story Prize (2020/2021). The book focuses on Black women, sex, and the Black church. Philyaw is also the co-author of "Co-Parenting 101: Helping Your Kids Thrive in Two Households After Divorce," written in collaboration with her ex-husband. Watch on Facebook or click here.
Co-sponsors are the English department and the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee.