2012 Black History Month Events

Entire month:

Lincoln: 

Lincoln Public Library will host a black history exhibit, “Allen Chapel and Literary Lincoln, Ill.,” from Feb. 1-29, during Black History Month. Allen Chapel, located at 910 Broadway, is one of the oldest continuously used Black churches in the area. The congregation was formed in 1868 and the present building was erected in 1880. For additional information, people can contact Nancy Saul at 732-1057. Click here for more information. 

Friday, February 17:

Rockford:

Black Cinema Discussion Series: “For Colored Girls,” 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 17, Rockford Public Library, Montague Branch, Connie Lane Room, 1238 S. Winnebago St., Rockford. For 18 and older. No registration is required. 815-965-7606, press option 2; rockfordpubliclibrary.org.

“The Black Rockfordians: Their Journey Through The Forest City,” film viewing and discussion, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17, Zeke Giorgi Center’s auditorium, 200 S. Wyman St., Rockford. You must bring a picture ID to attend.

Saturday, February 18:

Joliet: 

Celebrate Black History Month Through Music: The Ambassadors of Jazz, in Concert

Saturday, February 18, 2012 - Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for 7:00 p.m. concert
Join the museum as we celebrate Black History Month with a musical tribute, The Flavors of Jazz, presented by the Ambassadors of Jazz, led by Chicago musician Clarence Boykins.  Enjoy an evening of jazz in an intimate setting and learn more about Dixieland Jazz as well as the connections between jazz and show tunes, bee bop, and blues.  Tickets are $10 for non-members and $12 for non-members.  The doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7:00 p.m. concert.  Refreshments will be available for purchase and a cash bar will be available.  To purchase tickets, call Kim at 815-723-5201, ext. 235.  Tickets can also be purchased online, at www.jolietmuseum.org, after February 1. Location: 204 N. Ottawa St. Joliet , IL . 60432. Click here for more information.

Sunday, February 19:

Macomb:

1 – 3:30 p.m., 26th annual Soul Food Festival, “Sunday Afternoon Jazz Affair” featuring Creole cuisine from the “Big Easy” N’awlins, University Union Heritage Room, sponsored by the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center.

The festival’s menu includes seafood gumbo, (gumbow), creole jambalaya (jumbalieya), red beans and rice, a mixed green salad with vinaigrette dressing, buttermilk corn bread muffins, assorted rolls, beignets (benyays), bread pudding with rum sauce, southern pecan pie, red slush punch, coffee and tea. Cost: Prior to Feb. 10, 2012: Students - $12; non-students $20. After Feb. 10, 2012: Students - $17 and non-students $25. Click here for more information. 

Springfield:

Illinois State Museum-- History of the Blues:  The Illinois State Museum, in collaboration with the Illinois Central Blues Club, will present the “History of the Blues” on Sun., Feb. 19 from 2-4 p.m. at the museum in Springfield.  Fernando Jones will present the history of the blues genre in narration and musically with his group, My Band. The program is free and open to the public.Click here for more information. 

Monday, February 20:

Macomb:

Western Illinois University will mark Black History Month 2012 with a calendar packed with lectures, discussions and special events, beginning this week.
4:30 p.m. “Black History Heritage Bowl,” University Union Heritage Room, sponsored by Black Student Association. The program will provide a fun and interactive way to promote scholastics, black history, and general information about the history of blacks at WIU. Click here for more information.

Tuesday, February 21:

Macomb:

WIU: 6 p.m., “Jesse Owens, George Wallace, and the Burden of Southern History,” by Barclay Key, WIU assistant professor of history, Morgan Hall 101-B, sponsored by the African American studies department. Click here for more information.

Wednesday, February 22: 

Charleston:

EIU: The heritage and culture of blacks in America is the subject of a month-long series of events put on by two Eastern organizations. "Black Movement: African Dance and Slide Workshop" will be from 7-9 p.m. on Feb. 22 in the University Ballroom. Click here for more information.  

Springfield:

Lincoln Land Community College : African-American Food and Vendor Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., A. Lincoln Commons.  The event is featuring free samples of African-American food, displays exhibiting the wares of African-American entrepreneurs, in addition to “Saxophone and African-American Poetry Improvisations” performed by LLCC retired business law professor Virgil Rhodes, J.D., and an African drum presentation by Roosevelt Pratt. Located at: 5250 Shepherd Rd, Springfield, IL. 217-786-2200 For more information click here.

SIU School of Medicine:– Movie, “Miss Evers’ Boys,” Noon – 1:30 p.m.  – Lincoln Conference Room,  801 N. Rutledge St. 545-215. Click here for more information. 

Galesburg:

Knox College will celebrate Black History Month with events in February on and off campus. Activities in Galesburg include entertainment featuring hip-hop poet Black Ice, performances by Knox College students and lectures by Owen Muelder, director of the Galesburg Colony Underground Railroad Freedom Station at Knox College.

Black History Month events at Knox are sponsored by the student club ABLE — Allied Blacks for Liberty and Equality, the ABLE Center for Black Culture and the Center for Intercultural Life. This year’s events are presented in conjunction with the 175th anniversary of Knox College and Galesburg.

7 p.m. — Lecture, “Knox College, Abolitionism and The Underground Railroad,” by Muelder, director of the Galesburg Colony Underground Railroad Freedom Station at Knox College and author of two books about the anti-slavery movement. For more information click here.

Thursday, February 23: 

Springfield:

National Museum of Surveying Inc:

Museum Grand Opening 521 E. Washington, Springfield. 217-523-3130. The Springfield and Central Illinois African-American History Museum will host a Grand Opening Gala on Thursday, Feb. 23, from 5 to 7:30 P.M. at its new location, 521 East Washington Street. The event will feature an exhibit of photographs by the legendary Winfred “Doc” Helm, the State of Illinois official photographer during the period 1930 to 1950. These are on loan from the private collection of Beverly Helm Renfrow, his daughter. She has titled the exhibit: AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO SPRINGFIELD in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Museum President, Jerrie Blakely said, “We are delighted that our premier exhibit is centered on the work of Doc Helm, who covered Springfield life, Legislative Activities and numerous State of Illinois events during that period. Many attendees will enjoy identifying family and friends in the pictures.” The speaker for the evening will be Dr. Matthew Holden, Jr. , the Margaret L. Wepner Distinguished professor in Political Science at the University of Illinois Springfield. The Museum is the culmination of several years of gathering oral histories of Springfield African-Americans from the period, roughly, 1915 to the present. There are 65 such histories done through a partnership with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The goal of the new Museum is to educate the public on the African-American experience through research, collection, preservation and interpretation of that experience. After Dr. Holden’s address, the evening will continue with refreshments, music, and generally mingling and sharing of stories. Children with adults are welcome.

Tickets are: $20 per person; $35 per couple; $10 for students; $5 for children 12 and under. They are available from members of the museum foundation, or by calling 528-2725. Jerrie Blakely, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Ph. 312-316-2470 Barbara Dickerman, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Ph. 789-8965 For more information click here.

University of Illinois Springfield:

The ECCE Speakers Series presents “Hair Raising Women: The Politics of Good Hair in Black America” featuring Dr. De Anna J. Reese of California State University, Fresno on Thursday, February 23 at 7 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium. Dr. Reese's presentation will examine the politics of hair in black America through the historical development of black hair culture and the work of black female entrepreneurs to create networks of salons and shops for educational and employment practices as well as charitable and political purposes. Dr. Reese’s current research explores black women’s social welfare activism in St. Louis during the age of Jim Crow, and the career of beauty pioneer and entrepreneur Annie Turnbo Malone. This event is co-sponsored by the African American Studies Department, Diversity Center, Kinky & Curly Natural Hair Empowerment, Women & Gender Studies Department, & Women's Center. For more information click here.

Naperville:

During Black History Month, North Central College will feature “Deep River: A Spiritual Journey,” a live musical presentation and original narrative about African slaves who lived along the Great River before the Civil War.

The free program will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, in North Central’s Koten Chapel at Kiekhofer Hall, 329 E. School St., Naperville. Click here for more information. 

Decatur: 

The Boys and Girls Club of Decatur will be hosting events for February's Black History Month.

February 23 there will be a soul food dinner. For more information, call 422-9605 or click here.

Peoria: 

Peoria Park District Proctor Recreation Center, 309 S. DuSable St.

- 6 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23 - "Lift Every Voice: The Music of Black America Through History," performed by the Heritage Ensemble. The ensemble's founder, Sharon Samuels-Reed, will be the keynote speaker. Click here for more information. 

Friday, February 24: 

Springfield:

University of Illinois Springfield:

The ECCE Speakers Series presents “Bridging the Generations: A Foot Soldier for Civil Rights” on Friday, February 24 at 7 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium. The event will feature civil rights leader and author Thomas Armstrong. Born in Silver Creek, Mississippi, Armstrong was 14 in 1955 - the same year another African-American 14-year-old, Emmett Till, was kidnapped, tortured, and killed in Mississippi for whistling at a white woman. Three years later, as a student at Tougaloo College, Armstrong got involved with civil rights work. He organized black Missippians to register to vote, despite threats on his life. In 1961, he and three other Tougaloo students took part in the Freedom Rides, a campaign to integrate interstate buses. Though they were arrested in a whites-only waiting room before they could even board their Trailways bus to New Orleans, the so-called Tougaloo Four inspired dozens of others to make the dangerous trips. His book is titled Autobiography of a Freedom Rider: My Life as a Foot Soldier for Civil Rights. This program is being co-sponsored by the UIS Black Male Collegiate Society, Kinky & Curly: Natural Hair Empowerment Club, and the Diversity Center. Click here for more information.

Macomb:

WIU: 7 p.m. African American studies movie night and discussion, Morgan Hall 109, sponsored by the African American studies department. Click here for more information. 

Saturday, February 25: 

Springfield:

National Museum of Surveying Inc:

At 10:30 and 1:30, there will be a presentation on African-American surveying history. The presentation looks at African-American surveyors and those involved with surveying along with how surveying affected African-Americans by looking at the actions by white and black surveyors. Click here for more information.

University of Illinois Springfield:

The UIS Black Male Collegiate Society presents the first annual “Black Male Conference” on Saturday, February 25 from 6 to 11 p.m. in the Public Affairs Center (PAC). The conference will bring together students from central Illinois colleges to discuss various issues. Tickets may be purchased for $25 in advance by emailing Doris Williams at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or you can buy them at the door. Guest Speaker Christopher "Play" Martin will kick off the evening in Brookens Auditorium from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Click here for more information.

Lincoln Home National Historic Site:

Lincoln Home National Historic Site and the Old State Capitol State Historic Site are sponsoring presentations by Akil DuPont, award-winning director for his short film “Underground” as part of Black History Month programming. Mr. DuPont will be meeting with the Springfield Public Schools Student Film Club on Friday, February 24, at 7 p.m. at the Old State Capitol State Historic Site’s Founders Hall to present and discuss “Underground” as well as talk with the students about film making. Mr. DuPont will then present and discuss “Underground” at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site Visitor Center, 426 S. Seventh Street, on Saturday, February 25, at 2 p.m. Click here for more information.

Illinois State Museum:

Celebrate Cultural Diversity:  Families are invited to celebrate cultural diversity on Sat., Feb. 25 at the Illinois State Museum in Springfield.  The free family event is from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Learn about the heritage and traditions of various world cultures through hands-on crafts, international displays, live performances, and more. For more information, phone 217/782-5993 click here. 

Rockford:

Veterans Memorial Hall:

“Meet the Tuskegee Airmen, A Living History,” 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 25, Veterans Memorial Hall, 211 N. Main St., Rockford. Celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Tuskegee Airmen. There will be a formal presentation followed by an autograph session. Cost is $5, seniors and students are free. 815-969-1999.

Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens: 

Black History Month: George Washington Carver Days, 12:30 to 2 p.m. Feb. 25 and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 26, Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, 1354 N. Second St., Rockford. Family activities centered around George Washington Carver, the man who produced more than 300 products from peanuts and more than 100 from sweet potatoes. Free with admission of $6 for residents, $8 for nonresidents, children 4 and younger are free with an adult. 815-987-8858; click here for more information.

Joliet:

From Anansi to Brer Rabbit~Trickster - Tales from Africa and the Americas
A Storytelling Salute to Black History Month with Shanta
Saturday, February 25, 2012 3:00 p.m.

In traditional African societies, the storyteller was often the historian, as well as the culture-bearer. West Africa’s most vivid, intriguing, and enduring character is the trickster, Anansi. Follow the travels of Anansi from Africa to the west, where Anansi’s antics and themes are found in Brer Rabbit tales, often told on southern plantations. These stories of small spiders and crafty rabbits served to entertain and empower those who were using all of their spiritual and mental resources to survive their oppressive conditions. Shanta is an award-winning musician, storyteller, and actor whose work has been seen across the country and abroad. This program, held in the Museum’s Caterpillar Auditorium, is free and open to the public. For more information click here. 

Peoria: 

Peoria Public Library Lincoln Branch, 1312 W. Lincoln Ave. Noon to 3 p.m. Feb. 25: The African- American Hall of Fame Museum in association with the Lincoln Branch library will host a Black History Month celebration. Click here for more information. 

Sunday, February 26: 

Charleston:

EIU: "Teach My Children to Praise- A Musical Journey through the History of Gospel Music" with Unity Gospel Choir will be at 7 p.m. on Feb. 26 in the University Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union. Click here for more information.

Rockford: 

Black History Month: George Washington Carver Days, 12:30 to 2 p.m. Feb. 25 and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 26, Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, 1354 N. Second St., Rockford. Family activities centered around George Washington Carver, the man who produced more than 300 products from peanuts and more than 100 from sweet potatoes. Free with admission of $6 for residents, $8 for nonresidents, children 4 and younger are free with an adult. 815-987-8858; click here for more information.

“Meet the Montford Point Marines” The First African-American Marine Unit, 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 26, Veterans Memorial Hall, 211 N. Main St., Rockford. In 1942, President Roosevelt established a presidential directive giving African-Americans an opportunity to be recruited into the Marine Corps. These African-Americanswere not sent to the traditional boot camps. Instead, they were segregated. They received basic training at Montford Point, a facility at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Cost is $5, seniors and students are free. 815-969-1999.

Winter Lecture Series: Slave, Freedman and Free People of Color Genealogy, 2 p.m. Feb. 26, Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Road, Rockford. Joyce Higgins of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society will talk about how to get over the specific hurdles which have prevented African-Americans from locating their lost ancestors. Cost is $7 for adults, $5 for students ages 3 to 17 and $4 for Midway Village Museum members. 815-397-9112; click here for more information.

Storyteller Richard Meeks, 1 to 2 p.m. Feb. 26, Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, 1354 N. Second St., Rockford. Local storyteller Richard Meeks celebrates Black History Month with fun stories for the whole family. Free with admission of $6 for residents, $8 for nonresidents, children 4 and younger are free with an adult. 815-987-8858; click here for more information.

Tuesday, February 28:

Springfield:

University of Illinois Springfield: Zarfia Robertson, founder of i.d.e.a.l. Magazine for urban young people with disabilities will be speaking at Brookens Auditorium on Tuesday, February 28 at 7 p.m. The magazine talks about issues that other publications do not address such as sexuality, education, lifestyle and culture, music and highlights people with disabilities. Click here for more information.

Rockford:

Fourth Tuesday Book Discussion: “Things Fall Apart,” 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Feb. 28, Rockford Public Library, Main Library, Classroom C, 215 N. Wyman St., Rockford. A discussion on the 1958 book, “Things Fall Apart,” by Chinua Achebe, a tale that centers on a “strong man” of an Ibo village in Nigeria. 815-965-7606; click here for more information.

Galesburg:

6:30 p.m. Feb. 28 — Lecture, “Theodore Dwight Weld and the American Anti-Slavery Society,” by Muelder, Galesburg Public Library, 40 E. Simmons St., Galesburg. Free and open to the public. Click here for more information.

Macomb: 

WIU: 6 p.m., lecture, “Black Power Goes to the Movies,” by Jo-Ann Morgan, WIU associate professor of African American studies, Morgan Hall 109, sponsored by the Department of African American Studies. Morgan will lecture about the role of the Hollywood action genre and social problem films play to advance the political ideology of Black Power during the 1960s and 70s. Click here for more information,

Wednesday, February 29:

Macomb:

WIU: Noon, “The Unsung Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement,” by Marlon Blake, graduate assistant, Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center, Multicultural Center board room, sponsored by the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center. The program will teach students, faculty and staff about those who contributed to the Civil Rights movements, including those who stood beside Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and Malcolm X in the struggle for freedom and justice.

WIU: 7 p.m., “Black Men on Campus: How We Fit (or Don’t Fit) at a PWI (Predominantly White Institution),” by Ron Pettigrew, WIU academic adviser and J.Q. Adams, WIU professor of educational and interdisciplinary studies, Multicultural Center multipurpose room. Sponsored by the Center for the Study of Masculinities and Men’s Development (CSMMD), Black Student Association, Black Caucus, African American Studies Department Club and United Greek Council. Pettigrew and Adams will moderate a discussion with African American male students from WIU about their experiences in a predominately white institution. Click here for more information on both events.

Springfield:

Lincoln Land Community College:

African-American History Month Finale:  “A Tribute to Influential African-American Men,” 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., A. Lincoln Commons. The event includes a performance by John Crisp, in honor of Stevie Wonder and the late Ray Charles. Click here for more information.

SIU School of Medicine:

February 29, noon – 1:30 p.m. – Movie, “500 Years Later,” in the South Auditorium. 801 N. Rutledge, Springfield. Call 545-2155 or click here for more information.

University of Illinois Springfield: 

The fifth annual “Women’s Herstory” will be held in the Public Affairs Center (PAC) Restaurant on Wednesday, February 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The luncheon is free, but you must register at www.uis.edu/diversitycenter. Meet some of UIS’ very own unsung heroines. Through their stories, learn how their past, education, culture, environment and social issues have helped them achieve success. Special guest speakers include Dr. Susan Koch, UIS chancellor; Dr. Heather Dell, associate professor & chair of the Department of Women and Gender Studies; and Dr. Tiffani Saunders, instructor in the Department of Sociology/Anthropology. Click here for more information.

Galesburg: 

Knox College: 7 p.m. Feb. 29 — “Night of Arts” featuring music, skits and dances performed by Knox students. Taylor Student Lounge, Seymour Union. Free and open to the public. Click here for more information.

Charleston:

EIU:  "Harlem Night: Then and Now" will be from 7-9 p.m. Feb. 29 in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union. Harlem Nights will include performance of popular R&B, Soul and Hip-Hop music. Click here for more information.