Hannah Deixler '13 discusses her experience in Cape Town, the progress the U.S. has made and what diversity really means. 

African-American community leaders, drawing from their own life experiences, spoke about the importance of leadership in honor of Black History Month at the Tompkins County Public Library on Saturday.

In honor of Black History Month, Olin, Uris and Mann Libraries are housing exhibits commemorating the past, and present, of the black community throughout February. The displays are part of a series of projects organized this year by students on the Black History Month committee.

Jacqueline Glasner '15 reviews the power-packed documentary Black Power Mixtape 

Several campus and community groups host a screening of Jump at the Sun to celebrate the life of legacy of author Zora Neale Hurston.

To the Editor:

Re: “What Black History Month Assumes,” Opinion, Feb. 8

In his column the author sadly ignored the wealth of cultural, educational, social and culinary events hosted by students and university groups throughout February when he incorrectly stated that, “Black History Month has been advertised only with a special themed dinner at North Star with ‘Ham Hocks and Collard Greens’ and ‘Deep Fried Southern Ribs’.”

After over 20 hours of travel, I finally reached a point in my journey where I could catch up on sleep. I was on my way to Ormoz, a small town in Slovenia, to participate in an international debate tournament. The final stretch was a four-hour train ride.

When Mike Wallace asked for his thoughts on Black History Month, Morgan Freeman famously responded that it was “ridiculous” to “relegate my history to a month.”

“I don’t want a Black History Month,” he stated. “Black history is American history.” Wallace had no response, save “how we gonna get rid of racism?”

“Stop talking about it,” Freeman responded. “I’m going to stop calling you a white man. And I’m going to ask you to stop calling me a black man.”

In celebration of Black History Month, Cornell faculty, students and administrators gathered at a panel discussion called “A Brief History of Black Education in America: Ithaca and beyond” yesterday to look back on the cultural impact of black education in America.

Moderated by Eric Acree, director of the John Henrik Clarke Africana Library, the discussion began with a reflection upon African American education in historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the mid to early 19th century.

At that time, African Americans were restricted in their opportunities for higher learning. The HBCUs tried to fill the gap by providing “a rich set of educational programs,” said Ira Revels, senior associate librarian at Olin Library.

This year’s Black History Month comes at a pivotal time in the history of both America and Cornell. The first Black president was inaugurated in January, and this April marks the 40th anniversary of the Willard Straight Hall takeover.

Ernie Jolly ’09, president of Black Students United, views Obama’s inauguration as the top rung on a long ladder extending through history — an image displayed on the Black History Month flyers around campus.

The BSU is sponsoring a series of discussions and dinners this month, the first of which was held yesterday in Robert Purcell Community Center. The African, Latino, Asian and Native American Programming Board’s annual commemorative ceremony for the Willard Straight Hall takeover in April is likely to hold special significance this year.