African-American Heritage Month at U.Va.

The line-up of programming for this year’s African-American Heritage Month is impressive and wide-ranging. It features internationally acclaimed singer Bobby McFerrin; a film saluting the life of Malcolm X; a talk by the mother of Amadou
Diallo, a recent New York City victim of a police shooting; and a performance by the Marian Anderson String Quartet, a classical group that will play 20th-century music written by African-American composers, to name a few.

The events, planned by various U.Va. sponsors, particularly the Office of African-American Affairs, begin Jan. 31 and run through March 3. They are open to the public, and most events are free.

For more information, contact La TaSha Levy, interim assistant dean of OAAA and director of the Luther P. Jackson Cultural Center, at 924-7923, or by e-mail at lbl4a@virginia.edu.

Events, Jan. 31-March 3

Why We Need the Nguzo Saba: An African Agenda for the 21st Century
Tony Browder, author of From the Browder File and Exploding the Myths: Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization, will discuss the “Nguzo Saba” Seven Guiding Principles.
Sponsored by OAAA. n Jan. 31, Minor Hall Auditorium, 7 p.m.

Bobby McFerrin Residency
Jan. 31-Feb. 2 (See “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”)

Black History 101: Topics include Reparations, the Confederate Flag, and “Finally the Nigga in me is Dead!!!”
Carl Mack, vice president of NAACP in Seattle, will give a presentation on the legacy of Carter G. Woodson, African-American ownership vs. “visitorship,” and the internalized self-hate of African Americans.
Sponsored by the Cultural Programming Board, OAAA, and the National Society of Black Engineers. n Feb. 4, Clark Hall Auditorium, 7 p.m.

Black Screen Video Series, Part I: “Sankofa”
Directed by Haile Gerima, “Sankofa” tells the story of a contemporary model who travels into the past to experience the horrors of enslavement.
Sponsored by OAAA. n Feb. 5, Cabell Hall, room 311, 7 p.m.
Jefferson’s Children: In Black & White
Featuring Shannon Lanier and Jane Feldman, co-authors of Jefferson’s Children: The Story of One American Family. Lanier, the sixth great-grandson of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, and Feldman, an accomplished photographer, will explore together issues of history, family and race.
Sponsored by OAAA and the Women’s Center. n Feb. 11, Clark Hall, room 147, 7 p.m.

Black Screen Video Series, Part II: “Quilumbo”
Directed by Carlos Diegues, “Quilumbo,” offers a portrayal of resistance and self-determination in a community of escaped black slaves in Brazil, circa 1641.
Sponsored by OAAA. n Feb. 12, Cabell Hall, room 311, 7 p.m.
The Legacy of Amadou Diallo
Kadiatou Diallo humanizes the tragedy of racial profiling through a description of her frustrating experience with the system that exonerated the police officers who killed her son, Amadou Diallo, in 1999.
Sponsored by University Programs Council. n Feb. 13, Newcomb Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m.

Black Screen Video Series, Part III: “Daughters of the Dust”
Directed by Julie Dash, this film tells the story of an African-American family of Gullah ancestry that struggles to preserve its traditions as it prepares to move north.
Sponsored by OAAA. n Feb. 18, New Cabell Hall, room 311, 7 p.m.

Post-Traumatic Slavery Disorder
Dr. Patricia Newton, an author, behavioral medicine specialist and divisional chief of the Agogo (Ashanti), will explore the long-term effects of chattel on Africans throughout the diaspora.
Sponsored by OAAA. n Feb. 19, Clark Hall, room 147, 7 p.m.

The Tuskegee Airmen Experience: Segregation in the Military during WWII
Col. Charles McGee, a decorated Air Force fighter pilot who flew with the Tuskegee Airmen in WWII, and Bill Holton, national historian for the Tuskegee Airmen, will share the history of the veteran flyers and the racial segregation they experienced in the U.S. military during WWII.
Sponsored by Library Multi-Cultural Issues Committee and OAAA. n Feb. 21, Maury Hall, room 209, 3-5 p.m.

Remembering Malik Shabazz: A Salute to the Life of Malcolm X
Malik Shabazz appears in “The Real Malcolm X,” a video that traces the life and times of one of the most charismatic leaders of the civil rights movement. Discussion will follow the video.
Sponsored by OAAA. n Feb. 25, New Cabell Hall, room 317, 7 p.m.

The Case for Black Reparations: Part I
View the C-Span video recording of the “TransAfrica Forum on Black Reparations.” Panelists include John Conyers, Randall Robinson, Ali Mazrui and Dorothy Height.
Sponsored by the Griot Society and OAAA. n Feb. 27, Clark Hall, room 147, 7 p.m.
The Case for Black Reparations: Part II
A panel discussion on black reparations: pros, cons, obstacles and alternatives.
Sponsored by the Griot Society and OAAA. n Feb. 28, Clark 147, room 147, 7 p.m.

Marian Anderson String Quartet
Performance of works spanning the history of this classical string Quartet with emphasis on 20th-century music written by African-American composers.
Sponsored by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and OAAA. n March 3, Newcomb Hall Ballroom, 3 p.m.