The University of Toledo will celebrate Black History Month with a number of events planned around the theme of “Unity” throughout February.

The month will kick off Saturday, Feb. 8, with a talk by award-winning journalist and author Yanick Rice Lamb at noon in the Student Union Auditorium followed by a soul food luncheon. 

“I plan to talk to them about going after their dreams, making the most of their lives,” Rice Lamb said. “Dreams are challenged by economic conditions and other circumstances, but there are many, many stories of everyday people who overcame the odds — stories from their own families and the families of others. A lot of generations tend to think that everything starts with them, but there are a lot of inspiring backstories out there.”

Lamb is associate professor of journalism at Howard University who began her communications career here in Toledo as a copy editor and reporter at The Blade. She went on to work at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The New York Times, Child Magazine, Essence Magazine and Black Entertainment Television.

Her presentation titled “Socially Accepted: Where Are We Now?” is free to UT students, faculty and staff, and $20 for the public. Contact the Office of Multicultural Student Success at 419.530.2261 or oemss@utoledo.edu.

Additional events for Back History Month include:

Thursday, Feb. 6
• Africana Studies Brown-Bag Lecture, 12:30 p.m., Student Union Room 3016. Topic: “The Role of the Community and Minority Media in the 21st Century.” Speaker: Fletcher Word, co-owner and publisher of The Sojourner’s Truth, a weekly newspaper in northwest Ohio.

Friday, Feb. 7
• Harlem Renaissance Night, “A Tribute to Black Poets,” 7 to 9 p.m., Rocky’s Pub and Grill.

Thursday, Feb. 13
• Dance Workshop, “I Like the Way You Move,” 7 to 9 p.m., Health Education Center Dance Studio, Health Science Campus.

Wednesday, Feb. 19
• Unveiling of the Dr. Lancelot Thompson Meeting Room, 6:30 p.m., Student Union Room 2592. The renovated space will be named to honor the professor emeritus of chemistry, who also served as vice president for student services for 22 years.

Thursday, Feb. 20
• Student African-American Brotherhood Movie Night, “The Butler,” 8 p.m., Student Union Room 2591.

Friday, Feb. 21
• Black Student Union Fashion Show, “Color Me Bad,” 6 to 9 p.m., Student Union Auditorium. Tickets: $10, $15 VIP available at Ask Rocky on second floor of Student Union.

For information on all the events planned, visit utoledo.edu/studentaffairs/oemss.

Media Coverage
WTOL 11 and 13 ABC (Feb. 10, 2014)