Published on February 1, 2023 by Kameron Brown  
campus memorial

February is Black History Month and Samford University plans to celebrate the occasion with several events for students, faculty and community members to enjoy. The Office of Diversity and Intercultural Initiatives (ODII) is partnering with several departments across campus to provide important experiences that celebrate and acknowledge Black history. 

Since 1976, every United States president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Its origins date back to 1915 when Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and minister Jesse E. Moorland founded today’s Association for the Study of African American Life and History. The organization is dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other peoples of African descent.

“The Office of Diversity and Intercultural Initiatives is excited to celebrate Black history all month long and we hope everyone in our campus community can find a way to participate in the celebration,” said Denise Gregory, associate provost for student success and diversity and inclusion, and associate professor of biochemistry and chemistry.

For more information on how you can celebrate Black History Month at Samford, follow @samforddiverse on Instagram and Facebook.

Events

Beeson Divinity School welcomes Rev. Arthur Price, Sixteenth Street Baptist Church
Feb. 7, 11 a.m.
Rev. Arthur Price will preach from Matthew 13 on how Jesus describes his kingdom using parables as a part of African American Ministry Emphasis Month. Rev. Price is the pastor of the historic Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. 

ODII + Cumberland School of Law Presents: Got Water? The Jackson, Mississippi Water Crisis
Feb. 7, 5 p.m.
Memory Leake Robinson Hall, Room 101 Moot Courtroom
Speakers: Blake Hudson, Dionne Woody, DeLacy Bridges, Tony Montgomery
Convocation credit is available.
Guests will hear from Samford’s Cumberland School of Law Dean Blake Hudson, an expert in the field of environmental law; Dionne Woody, assistant superintendent of Jackson Public Schools in Jackson, Mississippi; Rev. Tony Montgomery Sr., pastor of Greater St. James Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi; and, DeLacy Bridges, resident of Jackson, Mississippi. The discussion will center around environmental justice and how it impacts everyday life and the challenges Jackson faced during the nationally reported crisis.
Register

National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) + ODII present: Experience Thursday
Feb. 9, 10 a.m.
Ben Brown Plaza/Harry’s Coffeehouse (rain location)
The NPHC Greek letter organizations will share history of their organizations through stepping, chanting and strolling. Food trucks will also be provided with a limited amount of food for free and purchase.

Cumberland School of Law + ODII, Thurgood Marshall Symposium
Feb. 9, 5:30 p.m.
John L. Carroll Moot Courtroom
Convocation credit is available
Cumberland School of Law’s Black Law Student’s Association will host the 29th Annual Thurgood Marshall Symposium on Feb. 9. The 2023 symposium, “Incarceration: A Look Behind the Bars,” will feature keynote speaker Andrea Armstrong, a visiting distinguished professor of law at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Armstrong is a leading national expert on prison and jail conditions. No registration is required. The event will be followed by a reception.

ODII Presents: “SHUTTLESWORTH,” Documentary screening and Q&A with producer T. Marie King
Feb. 13, 5 p.m.
Christenberry Planetarium – Propst 140
Convocation credit is available
ODII will be sponsoring the viewing of “SHUTTLESWORTH,” a documentary that focuses on the life of Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, a Birmingham minister and prominent figure of the civil rights movement. A Q&A session will follow the viewing with the producer, T. Marie King. The hour-long documentary features conversations with members of the Shuttlesworth family, historians, politicians and community leaders.
Register

“Dreamgirls”
Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Red Mountain Theatre
1600 3rd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35233
ODII will purchase a limited number of tickets for Samford students and employees to attend “Dreamgirls.”  Samford alumnus, Theo Edwards-Butler, is performing in a supporting role.
Register

NPHC + ODII present: Black History Trivia Night
Feb. 21, 6 p.m.
Harry’s Coffeehouse
Teams will compete each other in Black history trivia.  Prizes will be awarded to the winning team.  

Black History Month Faculty Panel: Cultivating Excellence in Teaching and Learning Spaces
Feb. 22, 11:30 a.m.
Dwight Beeson Hall 410
African American faculty members will share their experiences and best practices of teaching and learning. Registration is limited.
Register

Samford Black Alumni Association + ODII present: Dinner and Discussion with Isaac Cooper
Feb. 27, 5 p.m.
Ralph W Beeson University Center Howard Room
Founding President of the Samford Black Alumni Association (SBAA) Isaac Cooper '12 will share his experiences of serving on the SBAA board and how it prepared him to serve as board chair of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Corey Green '02, executive associate director of athletics for external affairs at Samford, will lead the discussion.
Register

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.