- Eastfield College will host its annual African American Read-In on Wednesday, Feb. 7, from 11:28 a.m. to 1 p.m. in room 100 of Building S. The event is free and open to the public. EFC is located in Mesquite on Motley Drive.
This year, the event will honor African-American writers and include a special tribute to four African-American students: Joseph McNeil, Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond and Franklin McCain. These four students changed the world when they walked into a segregated lunch counter at Woolworth's in North Carolina on Feb. 1, 1960. After they took that courageous step, the "National Sit-In" movement began among students. Two months later, sit-ins were held in more than 54 cities and nine states to protest segregation.
Freedom Summer, Freedom Riders and the countless individuals who traveled south for a season to register people to vote also will be honored during EFC's read-in; people in the Dallas area who participated in those efforts are invited to attend and share their experiences. For more information, call Brynndah Hicks Turnboat at (972) 860-7076.
- The Ayubu Kamau Sacred Afrikan Drum and Dance Society will perform at Eastfield College on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. in the college performance hall. The event, part of Black History Month activities, is free and open to the public.
Enjoy healing rhythms and African dance presentations that entertain, educate and inspire. Learn about the history, language, culture and global impact of the Diaspora of African music and dance expressions. Ayubu Kamau will introduce a collection of African instruments including Congo drums, Ashiko, Djimbe, Shekere and many others. Audience members will enjoy traditional African, Afro-American and Afro-Caribbean rhythms, colorful dances, Griot (storytelling) and songs for a great group experience. For more information, contact EFC's SPAR office at (972) 860-7185.
- Eastfield College will present a month-long combination of exhibits titled "Tribute to African Americans" from Feb. 6 to 28 in the EFC Library; the show is free and open to the public. The exhibits encompass both famous historical and contemporary black personalities as well as major events that occurred during the Civil Rights movement.
"Historic Black Personalities" includes posters of innovative people like Frederick Douglass, Harriett Tubman and George Washington Carver. "Contemporary Black Personalities" includes posters of well-known entertainers, athletes, politicians and leaders, including Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Doug Wilder and Colin Powell. Astronauts, musicians, sports figures, politicians and educators comprise "20th Century Black Personalities" in the exhibit. The final segment, "Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement," conveys the influence of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the Civil Rights movement, from the famous Montgomery bus boycott of 1955 to King's death in 1968.
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