6 events in February to celebrate Black History Month

a group dedicated to creating a non-elitist, non-discriminatory safe space for minority musicians on campus. All UT students are invited to attend and perform.

“Black History is American History” is the name of the game this year as local organizations prepare to celebrate Black History Month. The Knoxville community will be treated to a variety of educational and entertaining events, including lectures and musical performances.

Keep an eye out for more event announcements as February draws nearer. Good places to look include the Visit Knoxville events calendar and the UT Events calendar. Local organizations such as the Beck Cultural Exchange Center may also be announcing events shortly.

Several nationwide organizations are hosting virtual festivals and exhibits online to allow greater accessibility and equity to those who may not be able to attend events in-person. Notable hosts include the Library of Congress, Association for the Study of African American Life and History and National Museum of African American History & Culture.

18th Annual Black Issues Conference (Feb. 4)

A joint venture between Multicultural Student Life and the UT chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), this one-day conference offers an opportunity to discuss issues affecting the Black community. Issues addressed at previous conferences include education and healthcare reform. There will be workshops, as well as a keynote speaker. In the past, the conference has hosted notable Black Americans such as hip-hop legend MC Lyte and Judy Smith, the lawyer who inspired the hit TV show “Scandal.”

The event will take place at the Student Union from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those interested are encouraged to register through the MSL website.

Testing and Vaccine Clinic (Feb. 8)

In observance of National Black HIV/ AIDS Awareness Day, the Pride Center is collaborating with the McNabb Center and the Knox County Health Department to host a free testing and vaccine clinic in Student Union Suite 373. The clinic will offer free HIV and Hepatitis C testing, as well as no-cost mpox vaccines. National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day celebrates the strides made by the Black community in HIV prevention as well as in care for those living with the virus. It also acknowledges how other factors, such as racism and distrust of the healthcare system, pose unique difficulties for Black Americans living with HIV.

Douglass Day (Feb. 13 and 14)

On Feb. 14 each year, thousands of people come together in celebration of Douglass Day, which is recognized as the birthday of Frederick Douglass. The event will kick off with a plenary address delivered by professor Nneka Dennie on Monday, Feb. 13 at 3:30 p.m. in the library auditorium in Hodges Library.

Then, on Tuesday, Feb. 14, UT’s Frederick Douglass Day Celebration and Transcribe-a-thon will take place from 12-3 p.m. in the Frieson Black Cultural Center. At the Transcribe-a-thon, volunteers will visit the DouglassDay.org website and have the opportunity to transcribe the papers of Mary Ann Shadd Cary. This event will be an opportunity to become directly involved the preservation of Black history.

Distinguished Lecture in Religious Studies: “A Black Church Burned: Sanctuary, Loss, and Place-Making in Knoxville” (Feb. 16)

Join Todne Thomas, associate professor of African American Religious Studies at Harvard Divinity School, for a presentation about the 2015 burning of the College-Hill Seventh Day Adventist Church and its lingering effects on the church’s congregation. The lecture will also discuss the law enforcement investigation into the arson, as well as the community’s healing and rebuilding process. Other themes that will be addressed include urban renewal, gentrification and the making of sacred spaces.

The lecture will take place in Hodges Library 101 from 5:30-7 p.m. It will also be available via webcast.

Black and Boujee (Feb. 16)

Black and Boujee is an annual celebration of Black music and art. The event is organized by the Black Musicians Alliance,

The event will take place at the Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall at the Natalie Haslam Music Center. Performances will start at 5:30 p.m. The event will also be live streamed through the School of Music website.

Genealogy Workshop: Historic Roots – A Guide to Understanding & Tracing African American Lineage (Feb. 25) For many Black Americans, tracing genealogy can be a difficult and emotionallytaxing journey. The East Tennessee Historical Society is hosting a workshop to help Black Americans with that journey, including information on how to identify records and interpret findings. The workshop will also address other popular methods of researching genealogy, including DNA testing and oral histories.

The workshop is free and open to the public and will be hosted at the East Tennessee History Center. ETHS will be running other genealogy workshops throughout the next few months, including one focusing on women’s history in March.