Black History Month Events
Past Black History Month Events
Thursday, February 1
Soul Food Luncheon Kickoff
Join the Black Cultural Center as we kick off Black History Month with a Soul Food Luncheon! Come build community and learn about the legacy and importance of this month in our culture. Meals will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Sponsors: Black Cultural Center
12:00 pm | Black Cultural Center Auditorium
Target Audience: All
Black and LGBTQI+ Photo Exhibit Reception & Ongoing Exhibit
Photo History Exhibit Reception: All are invited to join our catered reception on Thursday, February 1st, from 5 – 8 pm at the K.C. Potter Center for the opening of our photo history exhibit honoring Black and LGBTQIA+ past pioneers and living legends on view throughout Black History Month.
Photo History Exhibit: Stop by the KCPC between February 1st and 29th to explore our Black History Month photo history exhibit honoring Black and LGBTQIA+ past pioneers and living legends.
Sponsors: LGBTQI+ Life
Reception: 5:00 pm | K.C. Potter Center
Exhibit: Ongoing February 1 -28
Target Audience: All
Black History Month Yoga Session 1
Certified yoga instructor Jo-Jo Jackson will lead weekly yoga sessions all semester to help
nourish the body and the spirit! During Black History Month, Jo-Jo will lead themed sessions that highlight Black Culture while engaging in meditative practice.
Sponsors: Black Cultural Center & Center for Student Wellbeing
6:00 pm | Black Cultural Center
Target Audience: All
Stay ReDyPink Goes RED
Join the Mu Rho Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. in partnership with Vanderbilt HPAO and the Pre-Medical Society on Thursday, February 1st @ 6:13 pm in the Kissam MPR as we kick off the month with our annual heart health initiative, Stay REDy! During this event, we will be learning how to perform CPR with Soror Dr. Katherine Y. Brown, founder of Learn CPR America. There will be special prizes for our guests, so make sure to register with the Google Form in our LinkTree if you’d like to receive yours.
This event is a part of the BCC’s FUBU initiative. The sponsors of this event received a $500 grant from the BCC to execute their event.
Sponsors: Delta Sigma Theta & Black Cultural Center
6:13 pm | Kissam MPR
Target Audience: All
Women’s Basketball BHM Recognition Game
Join us as we Celebrate Black History Month at the Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball Game vs Ole Miss!
Sponsors: Athletics & Black Cultural Center
6:30 pm | Memorial Gym
Target Audience: All
Friday, February 2
Pink Goes RED
Come join the Elegant Eta Beta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Mu Rho Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. for our annual heart health awareness collaboration: Pink Goes Red x StayREDy! We will be in Rand Promenade on Friday, February 2nd from 12-2pm. Come visit us to craft your own heart-healthy parfait and see how much you know about heart health! Come prepared with heart health facts to win a mystery prize. The higher the level, the better your prize!❤️
Sponsors: Delta Sigma Theta & Alpha Kappa Alpha
12:00 pm | Rand
Target Audience: All
James Threalkill Art Exhibit Opening
Join us as we celebrate the artwork of Vanderbilt Alum and award-winning artist James Threalkill! Nashville native James Threalkill is a painter whose artwork celebrates a life well-lived. His style of work is best described as Expressive Realism, an area of painting that teases the tension between figurative and nonrepresentational art.
Sponsors: Black Cultural Center
12:00 pm | Black Cultural Center Auditorium
Target Audience: All
Black Athletics Pioneers: Panel Discussion
Join Vanderbilt Athletics for a panel discussion with black pioneers of Vanderbilt Athletics on Friday, February 2, 2024, at 2:00 pm
Sponsors: Athletics
2:00 pm | Black Cultural Center Auditorium
Target Audience: All
Tuesday, February 6
Black Attorney Panel: Career Journey
Join us for an enlightening event, “Beyond the Brief: Insight from Black Legal Minds,” featuring a diverse panel of esteemed legal professionals spanning corporate counsel, district attorney offices, and private practice. Explore their unique journeys, glean insights into their expertise, and learn from their collective experiences. Don’t miss out on this enriching opportunity!
Sponsors: National Black Law Students Association
6:00 pm | Buttrick 101
Target Audience: Undergraduate Students
Common Bonds: A Celebration of Black History Month
Join the Black Cultural Center, Black Student Association, African Student Union, and Caribbean Student Association for a celebration of Black History Month. Come out and grab a sweet treat from a Black-owned business in Nashville.
Sponsors: Commons (Stambaugh House)
9:00 pm | Stambaugh House
Target Audience: Undergraduate Students
Wednesday, February 7
Murray Lecture
Join us for the annual Murray Lecture, which will feature Professor Daniel Black, professor of African American studies at Clark Atlanta University and author of several award-winning books, including the most recent, Black on Black.
Sponsors: Commons & Black Cultural Center
7:00 pm | Commons MPR
Target Audience: All
Thursday, February 8
The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts: The True Story of The Bondwoman’s Narrative
Vanderbilt alumnus and author Gregg Hecimovich will discuss his acclaimed biography, The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts: The True Story of The Bondwoman’s Narrative (HarperCollins, 2023). Hecimovich’s work is a detailed account of the life of Crafts, believed to be the first African American woman to write a novel.
Sponsors: Black Cultural Center, Department of English, Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries
4:30 pm | Central Library Community Room
Target Audience: All
“The Picture Taker” film screening
From his Memphis studio, Ernest Withers’ nearly 2 million images were a treasured record of Black history, but his legacy was complicated by decades of secret FBI service revealed only after his death. Was he a friend of the civil rights community, or enemy—or both? Found out in this riveting documentary.
Sponsors: ILENS
7:30 pm | Sarratt Cinema
Target Audience: All
Friday, February 9
Rooted in Clay
Do you enjoy art? Have you been wanting to take pottery classes?
We are pleased to announce the start of a new art series – Rooted in Clay! This is a student-initiated program that will provide collective and individual healing through ceramics! Participants will have the opportunity to foster community while developing their creative skills on the wheel.
Sponsors: Individual students & Black Cultural Center
Session 1 February 9th, 6:00 pm | Nashville Centennial Arts Center
Target Audience: Undergraduate Students
Black History Immersion Excursion: ATLANTA
The Black Cultural Center will be taking a group of invited participants to Atlanta, Georgia, to explore the Civil Rights Movement and other aspects of Black history!
Sponsors: BCC & Student Affairs
Ongoing February 9th – 11th | Atlanta, Georgia
Target Audience: Invited Undergraduate Participants
Cultural Friday!
Join OBGAPS and graduate student organizations for a Multicultural Mixer. Come out and connect with other graduate and professional students and learn about the various cultures represented in Vanderbilt graduate and professional schools.
Sponsors: Organization for Black Graduate and Professional Students (OBGAPS), Society for Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), Latin American and Caribbean Student Association (LACS)
7:00 pm | Multicultural Community Space
Target Audience: Graduate Students
Sunday, February 11
Superbowl with EESA
Need somewhere to watch the superbowl this year? Join EESA for a fun superbowl watch party where we will have a great time with even greater people!
Sponsors: Ethiopian Eritrean Student Association (EESA)
5:30 pm | Multicultural Community Space
Target Audience: Undergraduate students
Tuesday, February 13
Gospel: Preview Screening and Conversation
Join Vanderbilt Divinity School on Tuesday, February 13, 2024 at
6:00 pm, where two of the show’s commentators – Rev. Michael Eric Dyson, Ph.D. and Rev. Yolanda Pierce, Ph.D.-will be in conversation about the production of the Gospel series, the role of both preaching and gospel music in contemporary society, and how those art forms are changing. The event will feature a special musical performance by the Fisk University Choir Ensemble. A reception will follow the event.
Sponsors: The Divinity School
6:00 pm | Sarratt Cinema
Target Audience: All
BLK CHAT: Romance
This is an event where we will see how the different genders respond to various controversial/spicy questions related to dating. There will also be a speed-dating segment where you’ll get to see how compatible your peers are with each other. Valentine’s Day snacks will be provided!
Sponsors: African Student Union (ASU)
7:00 pm | Buttrick 103
Target Audience: Undergraduate Students
Thursday, February 15
Critical Conversations: Navigating Academic Relationships
Establishing and maintaining healthy and effective communication with academic colleagues and faculty can be the most difficult part of the graduate school journey. Many personal factors can hinder you from achieving your goals and creating a supportive graduate environment. GPAS staff will facilitate a discussion that processes your experience and offers strategies for your continued journey.
Sponsors: Graduate & Postdoc Academic Success (GPAS) & Black Cultural Center
12:30 pm | Black Cultural Center Auditorium
Target Audience: Graduate and Professional Students
Black History Month Yoga Session 2
Certified yoga instructor Jo-Jo Jackson will lead weekly yoga sessions all semester to help
nourish the body and the spirit! During Black History Month, Jo-Jo will lead themed sessions that highlight Black Culture while engaging in meditative practice.
Sponsors: Black Cultural Center & Center for Student Wellbeing
6:00 pm | Black Cultural Center
Target Audience: All
BSA & Nilaja Dance Workshop
We will be teaching popular line dances, including the Tamia shuffle, Flex, K Wana. Bunny Hop & Bikers Shuffle.
Sponsors: Black Student Association
7:15 pm | Black Cultural Center Auditorium
Target Audience: Undergraduate Students
Friday, February 16
Race, Migration, & the Making of the New South
The event is titled “Race, Migration, and the Making of the New South.” It’ll explore how migration, racial formation, and interracial solidarities have reshaped the racial landscape and politics of the US South. We have two speakers presenting their ongoing work. Jennifer Jones will be presenting her work “Making Race: Racial Politics and Possibilities in the 21st Century.” Cecilia Marquez will be presenting her new book, “Making the Latino South: A History of Racial Formation.” The event is co-sponsored with The Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies (CLACX), and the Department of Sociology.
Sponsors: Borders of Citizenship Project
2:00 pm | Alumni Hall 202
Target Audience: All
Saturday, February 17
Black History Month Text Banking Initiative
Join us as we send texts out to the local Nashville community to help promote civic engagement during Black History Month! You will be provided with a script and a list of contacts to reach out to!
Sponsors: Black Student Association
12:00 pm | Buttrick 306
Target Audience: Undergraduate Students
A Frosty Freshman Karaoke Night
Join us as we write love letters to our future selves while dressed as what we want to be in the future.
Sponsors: Black Student Association
4:30 pm | Buttrick 102
Target Audience: Undergraduate Students
Monday, February 19
Film Screening: Out of Darkness
Out of Darkness is a full length three-part documentary examining the untold history of African people and the African cultural contribution to the nations of the world. The Black Cultural Center will be screening the film and leading a discussion about it for the Vanderbilt community.
Sponsors: Black Cultural Center
4:00 pm | Black Cultural Center Auditorium
Target Audience: All
Black Men’s Discussion Group
Black Men‘s Discussion Group, a safe and inclusive space for Black-identifying men within our faculty, staff, and graduate student community. This discussion group is designed to foster a sense of belonging, promote meaningful connections, and engage in thought-provoking conversations.
Sponsors: Center for Spiritual and Religious Life
5:00 pm | Center for Spiritual and Religious Life Conference Room
Audience: Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Students (Black Men)
Tuesday, February 20
Women in the Academy: All About Love
Sponsored by the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center, this program offers Ph.D. students and postdocs a chance to reflect on the ways that gender affects their professional experiences in the academy.
Sponsors: Margret Cuninggim Women’s Center & Black Cultural Center
12:00 pm | Black Cultural Center Auditorium
Target Audience: Graduate and Professional Students
EESA & ASU: Beaded Love
Join EESA and ASU to make some bracelets representing our countries! Donuts will be served!
Sponsors: Ethiopian Eritrean Student Association & African Student Union
6:30 pm | Buttrick 202
Target Audience: Undergraduate Students
Navigating Black Vandy’s Narrative
Join us to discuss the history and legacy of Black students at Vanderbilt and how we should move forward as a Black community on campus.
This event is a part of the BCC’s FUBU initiative. The sponsors of this event received a $500 grant from the BCC to execute their event.
Sponsors: Melanated Minds
7:00 pm | Black Cultural Center Auditorium
Target Audience: All
Wednesday, February 21
Introduction to Clifton Strengths
Learn why over 31 million people have taken the CliftonStrengths Assessments, how you can have access to the assessment and coaching for free, and how leaning into your strengths benefits everyone. This session is specifically for graduate students and postdocs who want to learn more about how understanding your natural ways of thinking and behaving can add to greater productivity and better communication within our professional relationships. Register HERE
Sponsors: Graduate & Postdoc Academic Success (GPAS) & Black Cultural Center
12:00 pm | Black Cultural Center Auditorium
Target Audience: Graduate and Professional students
Sister, You’ve Been on My Mind: A Mental Health Check-In for Black Women
The Vanderbilt University Counseling Center invites all Black female-identified members of the Vanderbilt community to join us for a well-being check-in on Wednesday, February 21st, from 4:00 pm-5:00 pm at the BCC Auditorium. Our conversation will center on themes present within “The Color Purple,” such as self-care, boundary-setting, self-advocacy, community-building, and intersectionality as Black women, from a multicultural and trauma-informed framework. Light refreshments will be provided.
Sponsors: University Counseling Center & Black Cultural Center
4:00 pm | Black Cultural Center Auditorium
Target Audience: All
Werkin’ Wednesday: Dance Fitness for the Culture
Werkin‘ Wednesday is a dance fitness initiative that is rooted in Black culture! No prior fitness experience is necessary. All you need is gym attire and a water bottle.
Sponsors: Black Cultural Center
6:00 pm | Black Cultural Center Auditorium
Target Audience: All
Thursday, February 22
Buy Black Vandy
Buy Black Vandy is an annual event where we allow Black alumni, staff, and students who are small business owners to sell or market their products and services to the Vanderbilt community!
Sponsors: Black Cultural Center
4:00 pm | Community Event Space
Target Audience: All
Rhythms of Resilience: A Drum Circle Workshop
Join the Center for Spiritual and Religious Life as we celebrate Black History Month with an engaging and culturally enriching Drum Circle Workshop. This event is designed to explore the historical context and origins of the Drum Circle through the lens of Indigenous African traditions. Participants will have the unique opportunity to learn about the significance of rhythm, community, and spirituality in African cultures, with a particular focus on the drumming tradition and its role in fostering resilience.
Sponsors: Center for Spiritual and Religious Life
6:00 pm | Multicultural Community Space
Target Audience: All
Black Jeopardy: Hosted By BCC AmbassaDores
Join the BCC AmbassaDores for a fun round of Black Jeopardy! Test of trivia knowledge and knowledge of Black Culture at this fun event!
Sponsors: Black Cultural Center AmbassaDores
8:00 pm | Black Cultural Center Auditorium
Target Audience: Undergraduate Students
Friday, February 23
Heritage Threads: A Pop-Up Thrift Experience
Come out to this ultimate Black Vandy Thriftshop! Save money and buy unique clothes given away by peers in the community!
This event is a part of the BCC’s FUBU initiative. The sponsors of this event received a $500 grant from the BCC to execute their event.
Sponsors: Black Cultural Center
12:00 pm | Black Cultural Center Auditorium
Target Audience: All
Grad Student Black History Month Trivia
Sponsors: Black Cultural Center & Organization for Black Graduate and Professional Students
5:00 pm | Black Cultural Center Auditorium
Target Audience: Graduate and Professional Students
Sign up with friends and compete for prizes in Black History team trivia! Enjoy good music and drinks while you test your knowledge of Black culture and history!
Sign up coming soon!
Monday, February 26th
Let’s Rap About It!
A space for black-identified students to explore, process, and express emotions and experiences through music and lyrics.
Sponsors: University Counseling Center
4:00 PM | Black Cultural Center Auditorium
Target Audience: Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Tuesday, February 27th
EESA x BSA Canvas and Chill
Come do some painting with EESA and BSA, with a twist. It will be a night full of creativity, laughter, and bonding!
Sponsors: Black Student Association & Eritrean and Ethiopian Student Association
6:00 pm | Black Cultural Center Auditorium
Target Audience: Undergraduate Students
Wednesday, February 28
Join the Nashville Organization for Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChe) for Kinky Curly Chemistry! Kinky Curly Chemistry is a workshop to learn about the science of black hair! Guests will perform experiments to learn about porosity of kinky hair and how to create popular black hair products!
This event is a part of the BCC’s FUBU initiative. The sponsors of this event received a $500 grant from the BCC to execute their event.
Sponsors: Nashville NOBCChe & Black Cultural Center
6:00 pm | Black Cultural Center
Target Audience: All
Thursday, February 29
Black Pearl: Honoring Matriarchal Love and Wisdom
Join the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center, the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center, and the Center for Spiritual and Religious Life for an evening of celebration and reverence as we pay homage to the timeless narratives and profound wisdom of the matriarchs who have paved the way for our journey.Sponsors: Margret Cunningim Women’s Center & Black Cultural Center
4:00 pm | Black Cultural Center Auditorium
Target Audience: All
Black History Month Yoga Session 3
Certified yoga instructor Jo-Jo Jackson will lead weekly yoga sessions all semester to help
nourish the body and the spirit! During Black History Month, Jo-Jo will lead themed sessions that highlight Black Culture while engaging in meditative practice.
Sponsors: Black Cultural Center & Center for Student Wellbeing
6:00 pm | Black Cultural Center Auditorium
Target Audience: All
Afro-Artivism: A Night of Art and Music
Please join the Student Center for Social Justice and Identity (SCSJI) in attending an Evening of Art & R’n’B on Thursday, February 29th from 6:00-8:00 pm in Rand Lounge. This event will celebrate the artistic contributions of Black Vanderbilt and Nashville community members while highlighting African Americans and the Arts, the 2024 national theme of Black History Month. Additionally, this event will introduce the practice of artivism and allow participants to engage in meaningful reflection as they discover the innovative ways social justice work can be pursued through diverse mediums of creativity.Sponsors: Student Center for Social Justice and Identity
6:00 pm | Rand Lounge
Target Audience: All
African Student Union Trivia Night
Come and have some fun with ASU, and test your knowledge of Africa and the Black experience.
Sponsors: African Student Union
7:00 pm | Location TBD
Target Audience: Undergraduate Students