In 2019, the University of Florida’s African American Studies Program will celebrate its 50th anniversary. The program began in 1969 and selected its first director in 1970. The late Dr. Ronald Foreman was a tireless advocate for the program from 1970 until his retirement in 2000. We will host a number of programs this year and will include information on the website. Please join us as we celebrate the education of individuals about African American life and culture for the last 50 years and our plan to continue doing so in the years to come.
The theme for the year will be “Sankofa: Building Upon the Power of the Past.” The first event took place on Thursday, January 10th, from 6:30pm-8:30pm. The title of this event is “Honoring the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Using the Power of Spoken Word” was held in the Harn Museum Auditorium (3259 Hull Road). Several campus and local community artists honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through spoken word poetry.
On Saturday February 2nd from noon-4pm, the “Herstory” Program will take place at Flavet Field (off of Woodlawn Drive between Museum and Stadium Road). The UF Group, SISTUHS Inc., will provide moral and educational guidance to women through the theatrical presentation of the African-American Woman’s experiences. The event will showcase black women through black art, hair, music, beauty, health, fashion, and overall the Black culture and experience, with the theme “HerRoots, HerVision, HerStory.”
On Wednesday February 13th, a “Women of Color and the Law” panel discussion will take place in Smathers Library room 100 from 3pm-4:30pm. Attorneys Tiffani Lee, Julie Liang, and Jany Martinez-Ward will discuss their experiences as women of color in the legal profession. This event is sponsored through a grant from the Chesterfield Smith Fund at the UF Smathers Library.
On Friday, February 22nd, the annual Dr. Ronald Foreman Lecture will take place with a presentation entitled, “Women of the Black Lives Matter Movement: An Evening with Dr. Stacey Patton and Ms. Lezley McSpadden (Mother of Michael Brown).” This presentation will take place in the Rion Ballroom of the Reitz Union from 6pm-8pm.