UF's Black History Month events celebrate culture

February 13, 2007

Notable concert performances coupled with issue-oriented programs highlight February’s Black History Month at the University of Florida. “Our Cultural Anthology: The Missing Chapters” is the theme for the 29th annual event sponsored by the Black Student Union.

“Everybody wants their black history month to be the best it has ever been,” BSU faculty adviser Betty Stewart-Dowdell said. “They strive to improve every year.”
The celebration continues this week when comedians Damon Williams and Darren “DS” Sanders headline the Black History Month Annual Comedy Show on Thursday. The two have appeared on Black Entertainment Television’s “Comic View,” Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend” and HBO’s “Russell Simmons Def Comedy Jam.” The show is free and open to the public and begins at 8 p.m. at the MSB Auditorium of Shands Stetson Medical Sciences building.

On Saturday, UF hosts the 18th Annual Florida Invitational Step Show. As one of the largest step shows in the Southeast, the event draws thousands of people. The nine historically black Greek organizations will be represented from throughout the southern and southeastern United States. The show kicks off at 7 p.m. in the O’Connell Center.

Tickets are $15 for UF students and $19 for the general public. The cost is $23 on the day of the show.

In a serious discussion Feb. 22 about race in the U.S., Brian Sparks and Bruno Marcotulli will share their experiences with racial stereotypes as part of the FX television series “Black. White.” The two men explored racial discrimination on the reality series as their families traded races with the help of cutting-edge makeup techniques. The discussion begins at 7 p.m. in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom.

Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, son of the legendary Bob Marley, will perform at 8 p.m. Feb. 23 in the O’Connell Center in a concert co-sponsored by Student Government Productions and the Caribbean Student Association. Tickets are $12 for UF students and $25 for the general public. Doors open at 7 p.m.

The Black Student Union, established in 1968, is the fourth-largest student organization at the University of Florida and is funded by Student Government. Black History Month is an ad-hoc committee of the Black Student Union that handles more than $50,000 for the month’s events.

“There are definitely more activities and more programs than when we first began,” said Stewart-Dowdell, who has been faculty adviser of BSU for 28 years. “It is more widely recognized as a university program not just a BSU program.”

To view a complete listing of the Black History Month 2007 events, visit the Web at www.celebrateblack.com.