Black History Month events

FEBRUARY 2020 | 17 CSU LIFE | FACULTY & STAFF Black History Month at Colorado State University features keynote with ‘Central Park Five’ member

By Joe Giordano

For Black History Month, Colorado State University is hosting a keynote with one of the five men who were wrongfully convicted of assaulting a female jogger in New York’s Central Park in 1989.

Yusef Salaam — whose trial, wrongful conviction and eventual exoneration as part of the “Central Park Five” made national headlines — will speak at CSU’s Lory Student Center Theatre on Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. The keynote is being organized by CSU’s Black/African American Cultural Center, as part of the month-long celebration of history and culture.

Salaam was just 15 years old when he and four other teenagers of color were accused of raping and beating a 28-year-old jogger in Central Park. The young men were tried and wrongfully convicted as adults in New York. They served between six and 13 years of their lives behind bars before their sentences were overturned after another man confessed to the crime in 2002, which was confirmed by DNA evidence.

Salaam and other members of the “Central Park Five” — now known as the “Exonerated Five” — shared their story with documentarian Ken Burns in 2012. In 2014, they received a multi-million dollar settlement from the city of New York for their wrongful imprisonment. Since his exoneration, Salaam, who served more than six years in prison, has committed himself to educating people on issues such as false confessions, police brutality and misconduct, press ethics and bias, and the disparities in America’s criminal justice system.

Black History Month events

Salaam’s keynote is just one of more than 30 events set for Black History Month at CSU. Events include a screening of The Central Park Five film on Feb. 5, the day before Salaam’s keynote.

Other events include a keynote with author Lawrence Ross on Feb. 17. He is the author of the best-selling books, The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities and Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on Americas Campuses. Disability rights lawyer and author Haben Girma will speak on Feb. 26. Girma is the first deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. She advocates for equal opportunities for people with disabilities. Black History Month Key Events The Central Park Five Movie Showing Feb. 3 at 5 p.m. LSC 386 Keynote: Lawrence Ross Feb. 17 at 6:30 p.m. LSC Grand Ballroom Yusef Salaam

Learn more A complete listing of events is below. For more information, visit the Black/African American Cultural Center’s website at baacc.colostate.edu. For questions, email baacc_email@mail. colostate.edu or call (970) 491-5781.

Keynote: Yusef Salaam Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. LSC Theatre Keynote: Haben Girma Feb. 26 at 5 p.m. LSC Grand Ballroom D

Volunteers needed for U-Turn Navigators event

The Spring 2020 U-Turn event is in need of volunteer Navigators. This spring’s event will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., in the LSC North Ballroom.

U-Turn is an academic success event that supports students in reaching their goals and identifying strategies to thrive. This campuswide collaborative event is held each semester in conjunction with the Early Performance Feedback initiative.

U-Turn will once again be offering: • 30-minute scheduled and walk-in appointments • Resource booths for immediate assistance from offices such as CSU Health Network, campus-wide tutoring services, and Office of Financial Aid • A variety of academic success workshops We consistently hear from students that one-on-one time spent with a Navigator is the most meaningful part of their U-Turn experience.

What does a Navigator do?

As a Navigator, you will conduct a brief oneon-one academic coaching meeting with students who attend U-Turn. Students attend this event to seek guidance and support for challenges they are experiencing that are negatively affecting their academics. You will use information the student provides through a self-assessment to brainstorm resources the students can utilize to improve their academic performance. Navigators will also assist the student in creating an Action Plan for success.

How to volunteer

Each volunteer shift is 30 minutes but we ask volunteers to sign up for at least one hour (preferably two hours). Please note that all new Navigators will be required to attend a 90-minute training session. Training topics include logistics of the day, technology updates, academic coaching strategies, and practical case-studies. Sign up for one of the following: • Monday, Feb. 24, 10-11:30 a.m. • Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1:30-3 pm If you are a returning Navigator, training is optional. If you would like a “refresh,” you are welcome to sign up for this 60-minute training on Friday, Feb. 27, from 10-11 a.m. that will focus on technology and will also provide an opportunity to discuss different student scenarios, resource referrals, academic coaching, etc.

Sign up for both NAVIGATOR TRAINING and the times you will serve as a Navigator at the event on March 3 online at this link: https://form.jotform. com/200275116085145