NSU will kick off its Black History Month celebrations with the Opening Reception of 11th Annual African Presence Art Exhibition on Jan. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m.
The event starts with a reception at the Don Taft University Center Arena, followed by a tour of the 2014 African Presence art exhibit in the Cotilla Gallery of the Alvin Sherman Library. The reception will include hors d’oeuvres, giveaways and performances by the NSU Dance Ensemble and NSU Vocal Ensemble.
This year’s African Presence exhibit is called “Witness to History: The Photography of Ernest Withers.” The exhibit, which will be open through March 16, showcases more than 75 photographs from the Withers Collection Museum and Gallery in Memphis, Tenn. Withers’ photographs include the Memphis music scene of the 1950s, Negro Baseball League teams and the Civil Rights Movement.
President George Hanbury and Curator Babacar Mbow will speak at the reception. Charles Zelden, professor in the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences’ Division of Humanities, will also speak, telling guests what kind of photographs they will see in the exhibit.
Mara Kiffin, the chair of the organizing committee for Black History Month at NSU, said that the theme of the exhibit is the 60s because, along with NSU’s 50th anniversary, it is also the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act.
Kiffin started the annual exhibit 11 years ago. She was concerned that though NSU was the number one provider for African American doctorates, the university didn’t celebrate Black History Month.
Kiffin said that when planning first started to celebrate Black History Month, a student from the Farquhar College wanted to organize an art exhibit for his thesis project. He joined the committee, along with David Spangler, the director of education at the Museum of Art Ft. Lauderdale, and presented the first exhibit, “African Presence in the Western Hemisphere.” The exhibit featured the work of local artists from the African Diaspora.
Zelden said Black History Month is an important subject.
“You need to understand the past to understand the present, and [understand] the present to change the future,” Zelden said.
Zelden said students should take advantage of NSU’s Black History events and the exhibit because part of being educated is expanding one’s knowledge to these subjects.
“These are snapshots of real history and real life in America before, during, and toward the end of the Civil Rights Movement,” he said.
Students should wear business casual attire. To volunteer for the opening reception, email Kiffin at mkiffin@nsu.nova.edu. To RSVP, call 954-262-5350 or email Elizabeth Serioux at serioux@nova.edu.
