Black History Month 2023 at Queens
The Queens community will have many opportunities this February to commemorate Black History Month. Hosted by the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement with various partners across campus, the schedule consists of field trips, book clubs, performances, discussions, and more.
Harvey B. Gantt Museum field trip (2/1 2 p.m.)
You are invited to join DICE along with 30 students on a visit to see the “Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth.” exhibit at the Harvey B. Gantt Museum in Uptown. The exhibit profiles revolutionary men whose journeys have altered the history and culture of the country. The achievements of the men are woven within the legacy and traditions of the African American journey- achievements of excellence in spite of society’s barriers. The museum and exhibit is free for everyone through March 2023.
Book Club “My Grandmother’s Hands” (2/2-3/16 Thursdays at 12 p.m.)
We invite you to join DICE and Belk Chapel for a black history book club series on the book “My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies”. Each Thursday we will meet in the DICE Lounge at lunchtime, bring your lunch and each week we will provide a treat from a black-owned business! Email Adrian Bird for a copy of the book.
Black is… (2/8 5:30-7 p.m.)
Title IX and DICE present Black is… The intersection of Blackness, identity, and community. This event explores how different identities intersect with Blackness to curate unique experiences despite the assumption of a monolithic experience. We will discuss how to build communities that appreciate difference and how to be an advocate for change. Dinner will be provided! Claudia Belk
Soul Food Shabbat (2/10 3- 5:30-7:00 p.m.)
Join the Stan Greenspon Center, DICE, Belk Chapel, and the Charlotte Black/Jewish Alliance in Claudia Belk for dinner, panel discussion, and table conversations about Race and Antisemitism: Jim Crow and the Nuremberg Laws. Registration is required.
Black Alumni Gathering (2/11 3-5 p.m.)
DICE and BSU will welcome Black Alumni to Claudia Belk after the homecoming basketball game to mingle with members of the Queens Black Student Union and other members of the Queens community. The program will include updates, performances, and networking.
Nina Now (2/16 6:30-8:00 p.m.)
Celebrate Black History Month with DICE and enjoy the sounds of Destiny Stone as she performs NINA NOW in the Greenhoot Recital Hall of the Gambrell Center.
Destiny Stone blends gospel, blues, jazz, and soul to create lyrics and melodies that leave her audiences inspired as she honors singer, songwriter and civil rights activist Nina Simone.
Honoring the Diaspora: Poetry and Discussion with Jeffrey Banks and Maritza Rivera (2/20 7 p.m.)
Join DICE, Center for Latino Studies, and World Languages Department in Ketner Auditorium as we welcome Puerto Rican poet and Army veteran Maritza Rivera and Jeffrey “Big Homey” Banks. These Afro-Latinx poets will honor the diaspora through their poetry and discussion.
Black Pop up shop (2/22 4-6 p.m.)
DICE, Student engagement, and BSU invite you to join us at the first Queens Black pop up shop. Come check out local Black owned businesses from hair care, to clothing, art, and more. We will also have several food trucks available, and the first 50 attendees will receive a free entrée! Res Quad
BSU Hard Truth: Different Shades of Black: A Conversation Around Blackness and Representation (2/23 5-7 p.m.)
Join BSU in collaboration with DICE, Title IX and Thrive for a Black History Month Hard Truth. Through panel discussions and reflections and open experiences, we hope to empower and develop advocacy for self through the lens of Blackness. Chapel Rotunda
Barbershop Talk (2/27 6-9 p.m.)
BSU, iBelong Male Mentoring, and DICE will once again host “Barbershop Talk” as we bring men of Queens together with male community members to the DICE Lounge for bonding, support, and encouragement. The barbershop goes back in history as not only a place to get a haircut but also a safe space for Black men to have open discussions about issues that affect Black men.
For more information, contact Rosa Ramirez at ramirezr2@queens.edu.