Black Cultural Center sets spring Cultural Arts Series

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The spring Cultural Arts Series at Purdue University’s Black Cultural Center will include lectures, art exhibitions, immersion tours and artistic performances.

All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Events:

Through March 1. “Paradigm Shift: A Black Narrative Perspective.” Gerald Griffin’s exquisitely crafted works celebrate the black experience. This exhibition features oil painting, lithograph, printmaking, bronze sculpture, and original poetry inspired by the current political climate and the revitalization of attitudes of racial intolerance. On display at the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, 102 S. 10th St., Lafayette. Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except major holidays.

Jan. 6-29 — “Boycott! The Art of Economic Activism.” This poster exhibition by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and the Center for the Study of Political Graphics (CSPG) is traveling to highlight diverse historical boycott movements from the 1950s to the present. "Boycott! The Art of Economic Activism" features 59 posters from more than 20 boycotts, including the Montgomery bus boycott, United Farm Workers’ grape and lettuce boycott, divestment from South Africa to protest apartheid, boycotts of corporations using sweatshops, the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) and many others. On display in the Black Cultural Center, Multipurpose Room 2, during business hours.

Jan. 22 — Dr. Martin Luther King Commemoration — Theme of “Democracy, Civility and Freedom of Expression.” Former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and former Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona will share their individual perspectives on political issues and the current state of democracy as they come together to discuss wide-ranging bipartisan ideas. This event will take place at 7 p.m. in Stewart Center’s Loeb Playhouse. Tickets are needed but are free; they are available at the Stewart Center box office.

Feb. 3-26. MicroAffections. Microaggressions are statements or actions regarded as subtle yet incidental against marginalized groups generally based on race, ethnicity or gender. Acting as an intervention against microaggressions and a tool to encourage genuine connection with one another, this work fills the space with counternarratives to common microaggressions. On display in Black Cultural Center, Multipurpose Room 2, during business hours.

Feb. 5 – A conversation with Purdue alum and NFL veteran Ryan Russell. Russell is the first openly LGBTQ athlete to play in the NFL. His courage and bravery is a significant moment in professional sports history. Co-sponsored by the LGBTQ Center. This event will take place at 6 p.m. in Stewart Center’s Fowler Hall.

Feb. 18 – “How to be an Unhidden Figure in Science.” Talitha Washington is a program officer at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and tenured associate professor of mathematics at Howard University. She was featured by NSF as a Woman History Maker and is the recipient of the STEM Innovator Award and African Scientific Institute fellow. Washington will speak about how to be unhidden, a referenced to the movie “Hidden Figures.” This event will take place at 7 p.m. in Stewart Center, Room 278.

Feb. 21-22 – Black Cultural Center Coffee House, featuring BCC performing art ensembles. This event will take place at 7 p.m. in the Black Cultural Center’s Performing Arts Studio.

Feb. 28-29 – Freedom Tyme Legacy Tour to Cincinnati, Ohio, and Maysville, Kentucky. Learn about the significance of the Ohio River and its connection to slavery and the Underground Railroad. Hear stories about emancipations, abolitionists and black fugitives. Sites will include the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the Rankin House and more. This trip is free for Purdue students, but pre-registration is required.

March 1 – “Walk On – The Story of Rosa Parks.” Through music and drama, the production recounts Parks’ life while dispelling reductive myths about her protest to paint a complex, comprehensive portrait of her civil rights leadership. “Walk On” will take place at 3 p.m. in Stewart Center’s Loeb Playhouse. Pre-show activities will take place at 2 p.m. in Stewart Center west lobby.

March 9 – “Hecho en Puerto Rico.” In a tender and funny theatrical tale of discovery and pride, a student prepares to graduate and leave Puerto Rico to escape the economic crisis. He unearths his cultural roots through the lives of noted men and women in the island’s history. Co-sponsored by the Latino Cultural Center. “Hecho en Puerto Rico” will take place at 7 p.m. in Pao Hall’s Mallett Theatre.

March 16-21 – Spring Break Tour to Puerto Rico. The trip will explore the African cultural influences of Puerto Rico through artifacts and paintings, and understand African-inspired artistic traditions including Bomba and plena.

March – Women of Color in Politics Symposium. Showcase of women of color in politics to celebrate 2020 Women’s Appreciation Month. This weeklong symposium highlights the women who have been at the helm of social movements all pushing to make our world a more inclusive home for everyone. Daily activities will be detailed on the BCC website.

April 6-27 – “Poetry & Place: The Forgotten Writers of the Black Diaspora.” Black people, black thoughts and black creations are everywhere. This installation displays the linkages of land and language featuring writers from across the Black Diaspora. On display in Black Cultural Center, Multipurpose Room 2, during business hours.

April 16 – “The Race Divide in Philanthropy.” Join the conversation to discuss issues on race and equity in philanthropy and learn the efforts underway to reshape black philanthropy. Location and time to be determined.

April 20 – “The Cost” by Purdue alumna Aquaila Barnes. “The Cost” is a stage play that looks at the behind-the-scenes drama of the Foster family as they maneuver one of the most exciting political races in the Ohio history. Race, gender, sexuality and a parent’s unfulfilled promise set the direction. The play will take place at 7 p.m. in Stewart Center’s Fowler Hall.

April 25 – BCC Cultural Arts Festival. This production by BCC’s performing arts ensembles keeps your hips and shoulders shaking and your feet tapping as we celebrate the African cultural traditions of Puerto Rico. The ensemble will take place at 7 p.m. in Stewart Center’s Loeb Playhouse.

Writer: Kelsey Schnieders Lefever, kschnied@purdue.edu

Source: Renee Thomas, rathomas@purdue.edu