February 2016 Primannum Honor Society
BLACK HISTORY MONTH ON CAMPUS
BY: MIRISH SHAH Black history month is an annual reminder of how far we have come in becoming a progres-sive, inclusive and color-blind society. It is a time to celebrate and reflect on the successes of the African American community, but also a time to push forward for further positive change. If you are looking to partici-pate in the festivities of Black History Month, the University has you covered.
The theme for Black History Month 2016 at UMD is: Face(t)s of Black. This month-long celebration explores “the endless intersectional identities of the people of the African Diaspora, dispel-ling the myth of Blackness as a monolith” (Stamp Student Union). There are black history events each day in February, many of which have already taken place. The events range from social gatherings, to lectures from prominent professors in the field of African American studies, to vibrant discussions amongst students about the many challenges still facing the African American community. A few of the events are scattered around campus, but most will be held at Stamp. Many of the events are being lead by student organizations such as the Black Student Union and the Black Honors Caucus. One of these events is B(I)ack Talk III: Black Twitter, a student discussion about the segregation of the Internet and social media, which will take place on Thursday, February 18 from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the MICA/LCSL Conference Room.
For further details on the events, you can contact Tia Dolet at [email protected].
Additionally, all of the event information can be found at http://thestamp.umd.edu/multicultural_involvement_community_advocacy/student_involvement_areas/black_student_involvement/black_history_month.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Recommended Books .................... 2
Recommended Books Contd. ........ 3
Frederick Douglas ........................ 4
Events in D.C. ................................ 5
Student Organizations .................. 6
Celebrating Black History
Here are just a few suggestions of recently released books that you may want to read this month.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH BOOKS
BY: KATIE MEDLOCK
Jam on the Vine
by LaShonda Katrice Barnett
According to the Guardian (who lists this book as one of their “Black History Month reading list: the best books this February”), Jam on the Vine is, “the multi-generational, many-voiced story of the vibrant, aspiring journalist Ivoe Williams, and her family, living, but struggling in a poor and racially
segregated town early 20th century Texas.” After her family moves to Kan-sas City, Ivoe jumpstarts her career as a journalist, “co-founding the city’s first black female-run newspaper Jam! On the Vine. But in the midst of bitter violence toward blacks, her challenges surpass writing and publi-cation to the moral obliga-tion she faces to acknowledge the unjust.”
2
(http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/feb/10/black-history-month-best-books-authors)
In a recent article, NBCNews.com lists Dis-gruntled as one of their “14 Books to Read This Black History Month.” They de-scribe it as an, “engaging coming of age story cen-tered on Kenya, whom we meet at age 8,” which, “guides us through what it is like to be Black and differ-ent, with parents who are Black Nationalists, in the late '80s. The book is both funny, and poignant.”
(http://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/14-books-read-black-history-month-n301786)
Disgruntled
by Asali Solomon The Boy in the Black Suit
by Jason Reynolds
Another book the Guardian lists in their article, “Black History Month reading list: the best books this February”, is The Boy in the Black Suit. Their summary is as follows, “Matt Miller is a 17-year-old boy dealing with the sudden loss of his mother. On top of that, he’s got a dad who can’t cope (but can drink), a job at a funeral home, plus, his senior year of high school to finish – challenges that seem insurmountable until he meets Lovey, a girl who’s been through much worse yet seems to be in better shape.”
(http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/feb/10/black-history-month-best-books-authors)
(www.basecampcreative.com)
BLACK HISTORY MONTH BOOKS (CONTD.)
3
NBC News.com also lists The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl as one of their “14 Books to Read This Black History Month.” Their summary says, “Cyber-sensation, Issa Rae's star is on the rise. She tells her story in a collection of laugh out loud essays on what it's like to be socially awkward and introverted. The book shares its name with the web series that put her on the map. From navigating the perils of eating out alone and public displays of affection to learning to accept yourself—natural hair and all.”
(http://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/14-books-read-black-history-month-n301786)
The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl
by Issa Rae
Keeanga-Yahmatta Taylor is a professor of African American studies at Princeton. According to the Guardian (who list this book as one of their “Black His-tory Month reading list: the best books this February”), “She’s written a sweeping yet concise history not just of the Black Lives Matter movement, but of the past seven years un-der the first black president and of how the 20th century led to our current state of woke upris-ing.” Her book is full of histori-cal insight and, “it fearlessly tackles what black liberation looks like when it happens in a black-governed city 40 miles from a black-occupied White House.”
(http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/feb/09/black-history-month-reading-list-best-books-february-2016)
From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation
by Keeanga-Yahmahtta Taylor
Black History Month allows all of us to reflect on the importance of all the brave men and women involved in the push for freedom and equality in America, which we are still work-ing toward today. There are memo-rials located around D.C. that honor those who fought for the fair treatment of Afri-can Americans. Recently, the University of Maryland decid-ed to honor one of America’s most famous abolition-ists, Frederick Douglass, by placing a statue on Hornbake Pla-za. The statue arrived from Ire-land after a long five years of plan-ning and waiting. The statue cost a p p r o x im a t e l y $200,000 for the University.
Frederick Douglass grew up as a slave in Talbot County, Maryland, which is situated just over an hour east of Col-lege Park. He learned to read from his former master’s wife, and used his newly gained ability to teach other slaves how to read. He escaped the plantation in 1838 and became a force for the abolitionist movement through his oration and intellect, im-
pressing the likes of Abraham Lincoln and William Lloyd Garrison. Moreo-ver, Douglass was a brilliant writer, and published several versions of his
autobiography, as well as multiple abolitionist newspapers.
Be sure to stop by Hornbake Plaza to check out the statue of one of the most famous authors and orators of all time to celebrate Black History Month.
FREDERICK DOUGLAS
BY: LANCE TINANA
4
(http://uclu.org/representation/liberation/black-history-month)(http://umdarboretumandbotanicalgarden.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-frederick-douglass-garden_13.html)
The best part is that most of these events are free!
Black History Month, or National African American History Month, has been officially celebrated in Febru-ary of every year since 1976. What better place to cele-brate the achievements of Black Americans and recog-nize their role in African American history than in Washington D.C., the nation’s capital? There are many events, museums and memorials to check out and take advantage of.
There will be a “Why Lincoln Mat-ters” event, where a panel of Lin-coln scholars will discuss how Lin-coln can still guide and inspire our nation facing 21st century challeng-es. This will be on Thursday, Feb-ruary 18 at the National Archives. One can also meet Dolen Perkins-Valdez, author of a novel set in post-Civil War Chicago, on Mon-day, February 22 in the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. The 27th Annual Black Film Festi-val: The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution will be at the same location on Tuesday, Febru-ary 23. It will discuss the histori-cally accurate and well-balanced telling of the rise of fall of the Black Panther Party. On Saturday, February 27 Publick Playhouse is playing a tribute to the music of B.B. King. The best part is that most of these events are free!
An important part of African American history is the American Civil War, in which many African Americans had an active roll. The African American Civil War Me-morial commemorates more than 209,145 soldiers who served in the United States Color Troupes dur-ing the Civil War. Also, the Freder-
ick Douglass National Historic Sight preserves the home of Fred-erick Douglas, who was a re-nowned abolitionist. His home is near the Smithsonian Institution’s Anacostia Community Museum. The Mary McLeod Bethune Coun-cil House and Statue commemo-rates her life and the organization she founded, National Council of Negro Women. Additionally, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American Culture is also a must-see to celebrate Black History Month. Lastly, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is a great commemoration of his dreams and achievements.
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN D.C.
BY: SANA HAIDER
5 (http://lifeandtimes.com/fit-for-a-king)
PRIMANNUM HONOR SOCIETY
The Primannum Honor Society is a University of Maryland Honor Society that represents two national honor societies, Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma. Both of these national honor societies recognize aca-demic excellence during a student’s first year in college.
AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
BY: LIA COLLEN
The University of Maryland offers dozens of Black Student Groups for students look-ing to get involved on campus. The univer-sity offers academic/honors groups, advo-cacy/political groups, cultural/social groups, graduate opportunities and Greek affiliated groups specifically for African American students.
The academic and honors groups center around different majors and career paths including: teaching and education, busi-ness, communication, engineering, law, journalism, psychology and African Ameri-can studies. The goal of many of these groups is to foster excellence in the specific topic while promoting community involve-ment and diversity.
The advocacy and political groups include the African Students Progressive Action Committee and the Black Political Student Association. The first group aims to unite students who share a passion for the advancement of Africa and want to discuss possible solutions to the various problems facing African countries today. The second organization focuses on spreading political knowledge to minorities through discussions in a nondiscriminatory atmos-phere.
The Black Student Groups open to stu-dents also include the African Student Association, the Black Student Union, the Caribbean Students Association, the Ethiopian Students Association, the NAACP, the National Council of Negro Women and The Sisterhood of Unity & Love. These groups represent and cele-brate different cultures and social groups while promoting awareness on campus.
The Black Student Groups affiliated with Greek life are Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorori-ty, Alpha Nu Omega Fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Delta Sigma The-ta Sorority, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Each organiza-tion promotes academic success, community service and leadership opportu-nities.
Black Student Groups are not limited to undergraduate students. The Black Graduate Student Union, Black MBA Association and the University of Mary-land Black Alumni are geared toward graduate students, doctoral candidates and university alumni. The University of Maryland provides opportunities for students to continue engaging in campus activities even after they graduate.
For more information on any of these student groups and organizations, visit the Black Student Involvement page of the Division of Student Affairs at Stamp website at http://thestamp.umd.edu/multicultural_involvement_community_advocacy/student_involvement_areas/black_student_involvement/black_student_groups.
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