Former BSA co-president Jakiran Richardson ‘21 performs in the 2020 Poetry Slam for Black History Month at Eastern Mennonite University. Poetry Slam will be held this year on Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Black Box Theater, featuring students from On the Road Collaborative and Harrisonburg High School Black Student Alliance. (Photo by Kiana Childress)

Black History Month events at EMU

Join Eastern Mennonite University in celebrating Black History Month with a series of events planned by Multicultural Student Services and Black Student Alliance (BSA).

Feb. 8, Feb. 22, Mar. 22, Apr. 5, and Apr. 19, 10:10 a.m. (University Commons) Convocation Breakout Gatherings: Join Multicultural Student Services and the BSA in a space with an emphasis on the Black Experience and building community. If you are interested in learning about the variety of cultures within the African diaspora, this is the breakout session for you! Looking forward to seeing you.

Feb. 9, 7 p.m. (Student Union) Join BSA for a showing of the movie “Woman King” and talkback after. Enjoy half-price beverages from Common Grounds beginning at 8 p.m.!

Feb. 10, 7 p.m. (Student Union) Join BSA for a showing of the movie “Woman King.”

Feb. 15, 10:10 a.m. (Lehman Auditorium) Join the EMU community in celebrating Black History Month with speaker George Johnson ’11, former EMU star athlete and now author. Johnson returns to EMU to share his triumphant story of Double Crossed, which chronicles his journey leading up to, during, and life after his tenure as a Royal. A Q&A will follow the convocation.

George Johnson, 2011 graduate of EMU, is a self-published author, serial entrepreneur, mental health advocate, and father. Born and raised in Northside Richmond, Virginia, Johnson developed a strong passion for basketball and entrepreneurship at a young age. Because of his basketball talents, Johnson was recruited to play at EMU. As point guard, he helped lead the 2010 Royals to the NCAA Division III Elite Eight tournament. Now residing in Houston, Texas, Johnson operates multiple mental health outpatient facilities serving low-income communities throughout Texas and Virginia, along with running other successful businesses. He has endured a number of life-changing experiences, which led him to write Double Crossed, his memoir detailing these challenges and the mental effects of it all.

Feb. 16, 5:15 p.m. (EMU Dining Hall) Enjoy Soul Food Night in the cafeteria!

Feb. 16, 7:00 p.m. (Black Box Theater) After Soul Food Night, join us for Poetry Slam, which includes students from On the Road Collaborative and Harrisonburg High School Black Student Alliance.

Feb. 23, 7 p.m. (University Commons, Room 177 Meeting Room) Black History Month Town Hall (Topic TBD)

Feb. 26, 8 a.m. (depart from the Black Lives Matter mural in front of University Commons) Field trip to the National Museum of African American History & Culture and the Martin Luther King, Jr. monument in Washington, D.C.

Questions? Please contact Celeste Thomas, Director of Multicultural Student Services at celeste.thomas@emu.edu.