Jan. 15, 2020 – Collin College will celebrate African American History Month with a series of events throughout February. This year’s theme, which reflects the national theme of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, is “African Americans and the Vote.”
The following events are planned for February:
Wednesday, Feb. 5: Guest Speaker Dr. Lester Spence, professor of political science and Africana studies at John Hopkins University, an award-winning scholar, author, and teacher, will present “The Ballot or the Bullet: Revisiting the Role of Voting in the 21st Century.” The event will take place at the McKinney Campus (Central Park) Conference Center from 10-10:50 a.m., the Plano Campus (Spring Creek) Living Legends Conference Center from 1-2:15 p.m., and at the Frisco Campus (Preston Ridge) Conference Center from 6-7 p.m. The presentation will discuss the relevancy of a speech given in Cleveland, Ohio 55 years ago by Malcolm X. In the speech, titled “The Ballot or the Bullet,” Malcom X argues that voting could potentially be the act that enabled the U.S. to undergo a peaceful revolution. Spence will discuss whether the same idea of revolution is possible today.
Monday, Feb. 10: Guest Speaker Professor Candace Cooper will present “Midlife Transition of Maya Angelou: The Evolution, Fallacy and Redefinition of the Strong Black Woman,” at noon at the McKinney Campus (Central Park) Conference Center.
Tuesday, Feb. 11: The McKinney Campus (Central Park) library will host a series of open discussions centering on Toni Morrison’s novel, The Bluest Eye. The first discussion of the series is called “Is The Bluest Eye Relevant Today?” and it will begin at noon in LA115 at the McKinney Campus (Central Park).
Thursday, Feb. 13: A faculty panel will discuss “The Power of the Vote.” The interdisciplinary presentation will be given by Dr. Monica Gallamore (history), Professor Kimberly O’Neil (political science), and Dr. John Glass (sociology). The panel will be held 1-2:15 p.m. at the Frisco Campus (Preston Ridge) Conference Center.
Thursday, Feb. 13: “African American History Month Comes Alive Through Postage Stamps” will showcase the significance of postage stamps in commemorating important people and events throughout African American History through a mix of performance art. The presentation will be at 1-2:15 p.m. at the Plano Campus (Spring Creek) Living Legends Conference Center.
Thursday, Feb. 13: Selma, a dramatization of Dr. Martin Luther King’s 1965 voting rights march in Selma, Alabama, will be screened at the Angelika Film Center in Plano. A panel discussion will follow the movie. The film will begin at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 18: The second discussion in the McKinney Campus (Central Park) library series about Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye will explore how the characters from the novel would fare in today’s society. The discussion will be called “Recognize Anyone?” and it will begin at noon in LA115 at the McKinney Campus (Central Park).
Tuesday-Thursday, Feb. 18-20: The Leadership in the Movies program will show the film, Selma, a dramatization of Dr. Martin Luther King’s 1965 voting rights march in Selma, Alabama, for one night on each of the main campuses, beginning at 6 p.m. each night. A panel discussion will follow the movie. The film will be screened on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at the Frisco Campus (Preston Ridge) Conference Center; Wednesday, Feb. 19 at the McKinney Campus (Central Park) Conference Center; and Thursday, Feb. 20 at the Plano Campus (Spring Creek)Living Legends Conference Center.
Friday, Feb. 21: The annual Soul Food Luncheon will be held at noon at the Frisco Campus (Preston Ridge) Conference Center. This potluck luncheon is open to the community and the college district. To sign up to bring a dish, go to www.collin.edu/community/aahm/.
Monday, Feb. 24: Guest Speaker Dr. Christopher Redgraves, professor of history at Collin College, will present “Buffalo Soldiers in the Spanish-American War and the Search for Equality.” The presentation will be from 11-11:50 a.m. at the Frisco Campus (Preston Ridge) Conference Center.
Tuesday, Feb. 25: The final discussion in the McKinney Campus (Central Park) library series about Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye will explore the norms that our society imposes on each one of us. T will host a series of open discussions centering on Toni Morrison’s novel, The Bluest Eye. The final discussion of the series is called “What is your Bluest Eye?” and will begin at noon in LA115 at the McKinney Campus (Central Park).
For more information and updates, contact Professor Cathy Donald-Whitney, AAHM district chair at cwhitney@collin.edu or go to www.collin.edu/community/aahm/. The McKinney Campus (Central Park) is located at 2200 W. University Drive. The Frisco Campus (Preston Ridge) is located at 9700 Wade Boulevard. The Plano Campus (Spring Creek) is located at 2800 E. Spring Creek Parkway. Funding for the above events is provided in part by Collin College’s Student Activity Fee Advisory Committee (SAFAC).
Collin College serves more than 59,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates, including new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity degrees. The only public college based in Collin County, Collin College is a partner to business, government and industry, providing customized training and workforce development. In addition, the college operates the Collin Higher Education Center, which has an enrollment of 3,500 each year in partnership with The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Woman’s University, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Texas Tech University and the University of North Texas. For more information, visit www.collin.edu.