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Black History Month 2021

February 01, 2021 - 12:00am to February 28, 2021 - 11:45pm
Online

Black History Month

Afro-Tradition, Environmental Racism, and Black Place-Making in Mexico

Jamaica and Tamarindo: Afro-Tradition in the Heart of Mexico

Friday, February 5th, 11am to 1pm

Jose Luis Benvavides (Moderator) with Ebony Bailey, Jayson Maurice Porter, and Meztli Yoalli Rodriguez.

Screening and presentation of Ebony Bailey’s documentary Jamaica and Tamarindo: Afro-Tradition in the Heart of Mexico, followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker and the panel discussion, “Environmental Racism, Gender, and Black Place-Making in Mexico's Costa Chica,” with Ebony Bailey, historian Jayson Maurice Porter, and anthropologist Meztli Yoalli Rodríguez.

Bailey’s film uses two iconic food ingredients, Jamaica and Tamarindo to explore Mexico’s African identity and heritage through the eyes of five people in Mexico City. The multidisciplinary panel presentation will explore—through history, anthropology, and film—environmental racism in the coast of Oaxaca and Guerrero and the ways in which Black and Afro-Indigenous populations in México resist and defend their land and water.

This event is sponsored by the CSUN University Library and the Tom & Ethel Bradley Center. Support for this event was provided by CSUN’s Diversity and Innovation Grant from the Office of the President.

Read More and Register for this Event

Dr. Cornel West

Dr. Cornel West Event

Friday, February 26th, 3-5 pm

Engage in an important and informative discussion with the University Student Union during Essential Talks: A Conversation with Dr. Cornel West.

Join us for the first installment in the Multicultural Speaker Series Join us to continue celebrating Black History Month while also engaging in crucial conversations elevating our Black community. surrounding the black community. American philosopher, political activist, social critic and author Dr. Cornel West will dive into students’ experiences and the topic of racial battle fatigue. and You’ll learn how to care for yourself as a student of color or grow in your journey as an ally.

Learn More and Register for this Event

Confronting a Pandemic within a Pandemic: 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests in LA

Image from the Confronting a Pandemic within a Pandemic exhibition

Continuing Online Exhibition starting in February

The murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 demonstrated unequivocally that racial inequality will no longer be tolerated. The repeated crimes committed against the Black community had reached a breaking point, forcing society to confront systemic racism and its influence on the country. The nation responded with protests aimed to increase awareness on the subject and to demand change and accountability for those responsible.

The 2021 BHM Digital Exhibition: Confronting a Pandemic Within a Pandemic provides a glimpse into the events that unfolded in the summer of 2020, as viewed through the lens of various photographers, including Keith Rice, historian/archivist at CSUN, and Nicholas Soracco. Depicted in this collection are protestors occupying intersections; marching in the streets; delivering valiant and inspiring speeches; and displaying thought-provoking signs that collectively demanded equality for the lives of Black people. The protests also highlight the divisions and the differences in political ideology. It became clear that supporters of former President Trump's actions received little resistance from police during their counter protests, culminating in the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2020. Tragic and painful, these events provide a snapshot of America and the racial pandemic amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ongoing pursuit of equality in a country that was built on the premise of freedom.

Go to our Online Exhibition

James Baldwin The Fire Next Time cover

Black History Month Virtual Book Display

We invite you to explore this virtual book display to celebrate Black History Month 2021. Included are digital books by accomplished writers, leaders, and scholars that highlight the journey and showcase numerous contributions of the Black experience. Many of these works address issues of race and institutional and structural racism that persist and that are relevant to current society. Most of these titles are featured in the University Library’s #BlackLivesMatter and Anti-Racism libguide. All of the books within this display are electronically available through the University Library and require logging-in with a CSUN User ID and password.

View our Black History Month Book Display