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KEANmag
Celebrating Black History Month
Kean University is a vibrant and diverse community that celebrates the
cultural richness of our varied histories. Each February, Kean students,
faculty, and staff gather along with our neighbors to celebrate Black
History Month and the tremendous contributions people of African
descent have made to this nation and the world.
Black History Month festivities at Kean began with a flag raising outside
of the Miron Student Center on February 1.
For the third consecutive year, Kean’s Pan-African Student Union
presented an educational play, entitled
Black Wall Street: A True Reflection
of the Sun People,
performed by the United Youth of New Jersey.
From February 1st throughMarch 3rd, Kean University hosted
Wandering
Spirit: African Wax Prints
at the Karl and Helen Burger Gallery.
“The
Wandering Spirit
exhibition is a great opportunity for visitors of the
Burger Gallery to consider the cultural dynamic that drives tastes and
trends in clothing and fashion,” said Neil Tetkowski, Director of Kean
University Galleries.
The works in
Wandering Spirit
trace the history of the African wax print,
showing how these fabrics reflect the stories, dreams, and personalities
of the people who wear them. W
andering Spirit: African Wax Prints
was
curated by Dr. Gifty Benson and organized by Exhibits USA/Mid-America
Arts Alliance, Kansas City, Mo.
KEANews
Mr. De Lacy D. Davis presented T
he Hunt for Black and Brown Bodies in
the US: Police Brutality - Don’t get Trumped Up!
and Tyrone Powers, Ph.D.,
developed the theme
The Challenge and the Dilemma: Crime, Violence,
and Justice,
both lectures and discussions were open to the Kean
Community in the Miron Student Center’s Little Theatre.
Celebrating its 25th Anniversary, the renowned dance troupe Rennie
Harris PUREMOVEMENT brought African-American traditions of the
past, and the voices of a new generation, to the Wilkins Theatre.
PUREMOVEMENT is dedicated to preserving and disseminating hip hop
culture through workshops, classes, lectures, long term residencies,
mentoring programs, and public performances.
Reverend Marsha Lee-Watson delivered a lecture entitled
A View from
the Inside out: Incarceration of African American Women and Girls; A
forgotten population that continues to grow!
Later that same day, Rene
McLean & JMC Dynasty presented a concert honoring the life and legacy
of the late jazz great Jackie McLean.
Kean University offers a variety of theatre, dance, art, lectures, and other
cultural programming year-round. Visit our beautiful campus to see
more of what Kean has to offer.
(l to r) Dr. James Conyers, director of the Office of Africana Studies, speaks to Kean students and faculty at a flag raising ceremony in front of the Miron Student Center (MSC).
Jazz musicians perform in the MSC Little Theatre. Kean students with a poster of Mahalia Jackson, an influential African American gospel singer, during the Black History
Month Kickoff event in the Maxine and Jack Lane Center for Academic Success.
