Below is a working list of events and programming for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month. It will be updated as new events are planned.
Monday, January 18 – Friday, January 22
MLK Week 2021: Social Media
Timeline of Martin Luther King’s life on Instagram @FordhamOMA and @BlackHistoryatFordham
Monday, January 18, 3 p.m.
Virtual Storytime and Concert for Kids
The event will feature a story fitting for MLK Day, read by Miz Jade, featured in NYPL’s Drag Queen Story Hour, followed by performances from three acclaimed children’s musicians: Grammy Award winner Lucy Kalantari, Grammy nominee Joanie Leeds, and music and social justice artist Fyütch.
Streaming live on the WFUV News YouTube channel. Sponsored by WFUV and New York Public Library
First two weeks of February, twice daily, 7:12 a.m. and 4:12 p.m.
Black History Minutes
Featuring historical episodes of the African American experience in NYC
Sponsored by WFUV
Wednesday, February 3, 12 p.m.
Gabelli Faculty-Lead Workshops
Marketing and Racial Implications with Dr. Peter Johnson (pending) and/or Dr. Ahir Gopaldas (confirmed)
Sponsored by the Gabelli School of Business
Friday, February 5, 8 p.m.
Celebrating Black Voices: Self-Made Film Discussion Group
As we celebrate Black History Month over the month of February, we will be discussing the docuseries, Self-Made. Watch four short episodes of the docuseries on Netflix prior to the discussion. This event will be hosted by Lecia Ductan, PMBA student and Ilze Frierson, Assistant Dean.
Sponsored by the Gabelli School of Business
Week of February 8
PRX’s Black Radio: Telling It Like It Was, 25th-anniversary special
The program covers the story of radio’s role in the 20th-century transformation of the African American community. First aired in 1996, the specials have been reformatted into six hours for 2021. Original host Lou Rawls guides us, with new narration from original producer Jacquie Gales Webb.
Sponsored by WFUV
Monday, February 8, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
GSS Black Student Caucus Meeting
Topic: Show, Sip + Tell (Part poetry slam, part book club, part art class; Bring your favorite beverage and experience everyone’s talents)
Sponsored by the Graduate School of Social Service
Monday, February 8, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
GSS Students Challenging Anti-Black Racism Caucus Meeting
Sponsored by the Graduate School of Social Service
Wednesday, February 10, 5 p.m.
Student Spotlight Series—Opposing Apartheid
R. Bentley Anderson, S.J. will be moderating a conversation with Jade Crichlow and Eric Purisic, students in his Fall 2020 History of South Africa course. This will be a 45 minute conversation based on the students’ final papers for the class.
Sponsored by the Department of African & African American Studies
Wednesday, February 10, 6:45 – 8:15 p.m.
GSS Black Alumni Caucus Meeting
Topic: The Influence of Social Media on Our Community
Topic Co-Facilitators: Shantel Robinson and Rupert Pearson
Sponsored by the Graduate School of Social Service
Wednesday, February 10, 6 – 7 p.m.
Celebrating Black Voices: Alumni Panel
As part of Black History Month, this alumni panel will focus on what it is like to be Black in the workplace. Hear from a panel of Black alumni who will discuss how their identity affects the work they do, how they show up, and more.
Sponsored by the Gabelli School of Business
Second two weeks of February, twice daily, 7:12 a.m. and 4:12 p.m.
Vignettes highlighting Black-owned businesses in the New York metropolitan region
Sponsored by WFUV
Tuesday, February 16
Kanaval
A three-part music and audio documentary hosted by Leyla McCalla of Carolina Chocolate Drops and Our Native Daughters. Kanaval covers the relationship between Mardi Gras and Kanaval, the importance of music in Haitian life, and the ways musicians and organizers in Haiti and New Orleans have navigated this year.
Sponsored by WFUV
Wednesday, February 17, 5 – 7 p.m.
Black Student Panel Discussion | Gabelli School
Video: Farrakhan on Donahue (1990)
Panelists: Diontay Santiago, Lecia Ductan, Azali Ward, and 2 additional ASILI students (pending)
Moderator: Clarence E. Ball III
Sponsored by the Gabelli School of Business
Wednesday, February 17, 12 p.m.
Celebrating Black Voices: Year of Yes Book Discussion Group
As we celebrate Black History Month over the month of February, we will be reading Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes. In this poignant, hilarious, and deeply intimate call to arms, Hollywood’s most powerful woman, the mega-talented creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal and executive producer of How to Get Away with Murder reveals how saying YES changed her life—and how it can change yours too. Join us for a small group discussion of Year of Yes.
Sponsored by the Gabelli School of Business
Thursday, February 18, 6 p.m.
Webinar: Black Lives Matter and the American Political Landscape
Sponsored by the Department of African & African American Studies
Friday, February 19, 8 p.m.
Gabelli Faculty-Lead Workshops
Big Data and Social/Racial Justice with Dr. Chaitra Nagaraja (pending)
Sponsored by the Gabelli School of Business
Wednesday, February 22, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Black Feminist Worldmaking Series with Bettina Judd of University of Washington
Do Not Despair, Turn to Fire: Lorde and Morrison on Feeling and the Work
Sponsored by the Department of Department of English, and the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Program
Contact: Sasha Panaram at spanaram@fordham.edu
Monday, February 22, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
GSS Black Student Caucus Meeting
Facilitator: Khalilah Daniels
Topic: The Isis Papers
Sponsored by the Graduate School of Social Service
Tuesday, February 23, or Wednesday, February 24
Racial Solidarity Network Spring 2021 training/workshop
Open to members of the Fordham community.
Option for hybrid or virtual attendance at registration
Wednesday, February 24, 3 – 5 p.m.
Fireside Chat and Interview | Gabelli School
Moderator: Dean Donna Rapaccioli, Dean of the Gabelli School of Business
Featuring: Mandell Crawley, Global Head of Human Resources for Morgan Stanley
Sponsored by the Gabelli School of Business
Friday, February 26, 8 p.m.
Black History Month Student Work Virtual Showcase | Gabelli School
The event will showcase the top submissions from Gabelli School students focused on action around Black History Month. Examples of student action include volunteering with a Black mission-driven organization and writing a reflection on your experience, a written reflection on BHM educational experiences; a personal action plan for incorporating social justice/anti-racist work into current or future career space, a spoken word BHM video, an original music BHM video, and original BHM creative writing/poetry.
Sponsored by the Gabelli School of Business
February, ongoing
MAP Reading Group: Afropessimism by Frank B. Wilderson III
The Fordham chapter of Minorities and Philosophy (MAP) is running a Reading Group throughout the year. In February they will be reading Afropessimism by Frank B. Wilderson III.
Sponsored by MAP and the Department of Philosophy
Contact: Ginger Guin, gguin@fordham.edu
Wednesday, March 3, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Panel Webinar: Why is Nonprofit Leadership so White?
Sponsored by the Graduate School of Social Service
Monday, March 8
Black Feminist Worldmaking Series with Salamishah Tillet of Rutgers University
Sponsored by the Department of Department of English, and the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Program
Contact: Sasha Panaram at spanaram@fordham.edu
Date TBD
Book Launch: White Freedom: The Racial History of an Idea by Tyler Stovall
A celebration of the launch of Dean Stovall’s new book
Sponsored by the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer
Dates TBD
Black History Month Events Hosted by OMA
Watch this space for info on a Book Club, Firsts on the First (highlighting historic Black “firsts”), Black Networking Zoom with Fordham Alumni, Natural Hair Show, Paint Night/Day, “Colorism in the Caribbean,” and more. Includes in-person, hybrid, and virtual programs.
Sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the undergraduate student Black History Committee
Date TBD
You Should Know Their Names
A re-airing of the new WFUV News documentary telling the stories of seven Black New Yorkers whose names have been underrepresented in history
Sponsored by WFUV (also available now on WFUV.org)
Ongoing
Applications for 2021-2022 Undergraduate Cultural Programming Committee Leaders
Applicants for the Black History Committee will shadow this year’s committee. The other 5 committees also are accepting applicants for Cultural Programming Coordinators and Program Liaisons.
Follow @FordhamOMA and @BlackHistoryatFordham on Instagram for up-to-date information as February gets closer.
If you’d like to add a new event to this list, please email Diana Chan at dchan23@fordham.edu.
