February 2, 2023 – Millikin University is celebrating Black History Month with a slate of educational and cultural events on campus.
President Gerald Ford first recognized Black History Month at the federal level in 1976, during the celebration of the United States Bicentennial. He urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
Now, every February, educational and arts institutions celebrate Black History Month with programming, educational events, and reflections on the contributions of Black Americans and the disparate traditions of their ancestors and peers in the African diaspora. This year, Millikin University has a variety of events planned for interested individuals and families to gather, learn, reflect, and celebrate.
Cirque Zuma Zuma | Presented by Kirkland Fine Arts Center, Saturday, February 4, 2023 – 7:30 p.m. at Kirkland Fine Arts Center
Tickets:
$15 // $20 // $25
Children under 12, $10*
Kirkland Fine Arts Center presents Cirque Zuma Zuma! These finalists on AMERICA’S GOT TALENT are known for daring maneuvers that push the envelope of human possibility with astonishing and unbelievable human feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. Based in Las Vegas, this troupe of acrobats, street dancers, and contortionists have toured across Europe, Australia, the United States and Canada, performing a variety of traditional dances and acrobatic feats drawn from the heritage of multiple African peoples and nations. South African gumboot dancing, Gabonese tumbling, Tanzanian chair and handstand balancing, Ethiopian foot table juggling and contortionists are all represented, as well as African music and chants that reflect drumming traditions and hip-hop from around the world. Tickets available at kirklandfinearts.com, or by calling or visiting the ticket office: 217.424.6318. *Tickets for children and seniors are not available online. Please call the ticket office directly.
Dr. Wilson Kwamogi Okello | Presented by Millikin Campus Life, Monday, February 13, 2023 – 7:00 p.m. at Kirkland Fine Arts Center
Free and open to the public.
Millikin University welcomes Dr. Wilson Kwamogi Okello for a presentation titled “Let justice roll down like waters: A commemorative program for Black History Month.” Dr. Okello is a spoken word artist who believes in the power of storytelling and spoken word poetry as a platform for education, liberation and resilience. In the presentation, Okello will reinforce the face that your present, position and voice are equal in both legitimacy and importance.
Voices of Black & Brown Poets | Presented by the School of Theatre & Dance and Millikin Campus Life, Tuesday, February 21, 2023- 5:00 p.m. at Oberhelman Center for Leadership Performance (OCLP) in Millikin’s University Commons
Free and open to the public.
The School of Theatre & Dance and Millikin Campus Life present a spoken word program of poetry by Black and brown writers. Students will perform curated selections from contemporary and historical poets on a variety of subjects related to the Black experience in America. Join us in the University Commons Lobby for this thoughtful showcase of literary art and dramatic talent.
Liberation! | Presented by the School of Music and the Millikin Symphonic Wind Ensemble. Sunday, February 26, 2023- 2:00 p.m. at Kirkland Fine Arts Center
Free and open to the public.
The Millikin Symphonic Wind Ensemble presents a concert celebrating the fight for freedom throughout the world. The music will include tributes to Marsha P. Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, the struggle in Ukraine, and a remembrance of the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. Student musicians from the Decatur community – including singers from Johns Hill Magnet School and the Salvation Army Youth Band (directed by Millikin alumnus Kaream Williams) – will play along with Millikin faculty cello soloist Amy Catron. Decatur-native Rev. Courtney Carson will narrate. Join us to celebrate Black History Month with this powerful and uplifting program.
