MCCCD Celebrates Black History Month With Culture and Conversation
In celebration of Black History Month, the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is hosting virtual events across many of the Maricopa Community Colleges, exploring Black history and celebrating the culture, impacts and achievements of the Black community.
“The Maricopa Community Colleges are proud to celebrate Black history and culture with students, staff, faculty, and community members of all backgrounds,” says MCCCD Interim Chancellor, Dr. Steven R. Gonzales. “We look forward to a month-long series of events across many of our Colleges that will allow an opportunity for dialogue, discussion, and education.”
MCCCD is committed to ensuring that all members of the Maricopa community have the opportunity to engage with Black History Month in meaningful ways that provide opportunities for dialogue, and a time to reflect on the lives and contributions of Black and African American people. All events are free and open to the public.
Black History Month Living Library
February 23 – 25, 2021
Virtual Event View Schedule
Join Chandler-Gilbert Community College for its Black History Month Living Library, which invites guests to “check out” people instead of books and spend time with them. More than 20 participants will be acting as “books,” each challenging a stereotype faced in today’s society. The three-day event is sponsored by the Black Student Union.
Black History Month Cultural and Community Events
Throughout February 2021
Virtual Events View All Events
Estrella Mountain Community College presents cultural and community events that honor the achievements of Black people and the importance of civil rights in America. Events throughout February will feature learning, cultural experiences, film, art, and food.
The Langston Hughes Project:Live Q & A with Dr. Ron McCurdy
February 24, 2021
Virtual Event | 12 – 1 p.m. Join Event
Join Glendale Community College for a presentation of the Langston Hughes Project, a multimedia presentation based on Hughes’ poem, “Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz,” which is an homage in verse and music to the struggles for artistic and social freedom at home and abroad at the beginning of the 1960s. Watch a live Q&A with Dr. Ron McCurdy, a professor of music in the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California and Past-President of the International Association for Jazz Education.
Black History Month Alumni Panel
February 16, 2021
Virtual Event | 10:30 – 11:45 a.m. Register for Event
Join Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) for inspiring stories presented by PVCC Alumni, highlighting their educational journeys and career paths.
Streamed Performance”Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz”
February 18, 2021 Virtual Event | 1 – 2 p.m. Register for Event
Join Phoenix College for a recitation, in verse and music, of Langston Hughes’ 1960 epic poem, “Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz” by Ron McCurdy and his Quartet. The twelve-part composition is a hybrid of Hughes’ own rhythmic words, a score influenced by African American musical tradition, and captivating imagery.
Living in Legacy: Hope is on the Horizon
February 24, 2021
Virtual Event | 12 – 1 p.m. Register for Event
Join Rio Salado College to take part in an engaging discussion celebrating the legacy and significance of the African American experience with diversity and equity author, lecturer and Association of American Colleges & Universities Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Student Success, Dr. Tia McNair.
Virtual Painting Session with Artist Liz Brent
February 26, 2021
Virtual Event | 3 – 5:30 p.m. Register for Event
Meeting ID: 985 7063 8599
Passcode: 589590
Join South Mountain Community College and its Black Student Union in an art class guided by artist Liz Brent. Brent will provide instructions on how to paint an inspiration from poet and author Maya Angelou’s autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”
