Brandeis Celebrates Black History Month
Feb. 3, 2025
Dear Brandeis Community,
We are delighted to honor the heritage, resilience, contributions, and scholarship of Black people during Black History Month in February. This month is designated to inspire us to pause and reflect on how communities of color are constantly striving to build an inclusive community based on mutual understanding and respect. Notably, the achievements of the African Diaspora remind us of the global nature of humanity and the vast diversity of the Black communities and populations.
In 1926, Historian Carter G. Woodson created ‘Negro History Week’ to acknowledge the myriad of Black peoples’ contributions to our country’s history and culture. In 1970, students and educators at Kent State University expanded the recognition for a month which spread to college campuses nationwide. Subsequently, Black History Month was first nationally recognized by President Gerald Ford in 1976 during the celebration of the United States Bicentennial (Smithsonian National Museum of History and Culture, 23 January 2022).
Brandeis was founded on the premise of inclusion and justice, and the University contributes an important piece in our nation's history of the Civil Rights Movement. The Brandeis University Archives holds a number of collections related to African and African American Studies, including a recording of a speech given on campus by Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1957, an online exhibit entitled Remembering Ford and Sydeman Halls, a collection of African-American Portraits by Carl Van Vechten, and a number of rare editions of works by such authors as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Wallace Thurman. We invite you to explore these materials in the University Archives and Special Collections which is open 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday - Friday.
In addition, please join us for the following campus programs to elevate our Black voices celebrating their communities:
“Talk About It” hosted by the Brandeis Black Student Organization
Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, 7-10 p.m.
SCC Theater
“Barbershop Talk: Cutting the Stigma” hosted by the Intercultural Center
Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, 6-8 p.m.
Intercultural Center
CommUnity Gathering at Heller
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Heller Zinner Forum
Please join us for an informal community gathering to connect and reflect on themes of history and unity. Lunch will be served. Sponsored by the Office of the Dean at Heller.
We look forward to you joining us in our commemoration and celebration of our diverse Black communities and populations at Brandeis and beyond.
In community,
Lauren Haynie
Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs
Lee Bitsóí
Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion