Black History Month
February is Black History Month, an annual celebration of the accomplishments and contributions of Black Americans to both culture and society. Austin Community College District (ACC) commemorates the month with a series of in-person and hybrid events along with profiles. Events are free and open to all! Please check back here throughout the month as more events are added.
2024 Theme: African Americans and the Arts: How the Arts shaped Black culture.
Every year ACC celebrates Black History Month in various ways through our African American Cultural Center at the Eastview Campus, ACC’s Truth Racial Healing and Transformation Center at the Highland Campus and at other campuses throughout the district. This is an opportunity to highlight, pay homage, and celebrate the rich history that has contributed to our country’s culture and achievements, and this year is no different!
All events are sponsored by the College, the Office of Belonging & Purpose, the ACC Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Center, ACC African-American Cultural Center and BRASS.
2024 Black History Month Events
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Black History Month 2024 Essay Contest: African Americans and the Arts— How the Arts shaped Black Culture!
Contest Regulations
All essays must comply with the following contest rules before submission:
- Participants must be current ACC students, who are enrolled for the Spring 2024 semester.
- Only one (1) essay may be submitted per participant. No literary form other than an essay will be accepted.
- Essay submissions must reflect the participant’s own research, writing, and original thinking.
- The essay must be typed and its length should not exceed 500 words. The essay should be formatted as follows: 12-point font, single-sided, numbered pages, one-inch margins.
- Title page text will not be included in the essay’s total word count; however, the title page must include the following information:
- ESSAY TOPIC: African Americans and the Arts
- Participant’s name
- Student ID number
- ACC email address
- Phone number
- References should be cited, included, and clearly identified.
- Essays must be received via email by 5pm, Monday, February 19th, 2024. Please send to [email protected].
- Each essay will be judged on its comprehension, organization, creativity, and writing. A $50 and $25 prize will be awarded to the top two essays, respectively. Winners will be announced at the Tuesday, February 27th event on the Eastview Campus.
2/1 - ACC BHM Kickoff for 2024
Time: 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Location: Highland Campus |Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center
Facilitator(s): BRASS
Description: Help us to launch the start of Black History Month 2024! Music outside of the TRHC- Greek fac./staff – African American organizations and programs at ACC to table during the hour and a half.
2/15 - Understanding My Love for African American history and culture: Q&A with Professor Roland Hayes
Date: Thursday, February 15th, 2024
Time: 11:00am – 1:00pm
Location: Eastview Campus, Building 2000 | African American Cultural Center & Virtual via Zoom
Facilitator(s): QueenSamantha Ackers & Felecia Williams-Dennis
Description: Come join us for a lively discussion with Professor Roland Hayes to learn about his love for African American history and culture.
2/16 - Understanding the Art of Cooking w/ Chef Currie: How Food has Shaped Our Culture
Date: Friday, February 16th, 2024
Time: noon- 2pm
Location: Highland Campus | Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center
Facilitator: Chef Bryant Currie
Description: They say cooking is an art that was created with imagination and skill. Join us as Chef Currie showcases a beautiful masterpiece of culinary art through skill and imagination that will surely be appetizing!
2/20 - Salon/Barbershop Talk: What defines culture?!
Date: Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Time: 1:30 – 2:30 pm
Location: Highland Campus, Building 4000 | Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center & online via Zoom
Facilitator(s): Dr. Khayree Williams
Description: What is your definition of culture? How do you know? What maintains it or changes it? What about your upbringing, relationships, morals and values, your access to social media, literature, art, and music, societal norms, herd mentality, pressure to conform, comply, succeed? No matter what your definition is, we want to get to the bottom of it all! Join us for an interactive discussion which will dive into examining the elements of culture and behavior, both learned and innate, and how they have and will continue to shape perspectives, and preserve the diverse traditions and rich artistry that we know and love.
2/21 - Black History Trivia
Date: Wednesday, February 21st, 2024
Time: noon- 2pm
Location: Riverside Campus, Building G rm 8100 | Virtual via Zoom
Description: How well do you know your Black history?! Come out and enjoy black history past and present with some friendly games of Kahoot.
Meeting ID: 868 4623 7320
Passcode: 063816
2/22 - Literary Works of Our Past: Voices that shaped cultural movements
Date: Thursday, February 22nd, 2024
Time: 4pm- 5:30pm
Location: HLC Truth Racial, Healing and Transformation Center | Virtual via Zoom
Facilitator(s): Prudence Arceneaux
Description: Black literature has heightened the scope of how Black people have been viewed throughout history. Join us as we read excerpts from writings of Black authors as they used their voices to cultivate a livelihood of belonging for Black Americans. Students, faculty, staff and community members are welcome to participate.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 885 4066 0118
Passcode: 339107
2/22 - Art Exhibition: Celebrating Local Black Art and Artists
Date: Thursday, February 22nd, 2024
Time: 11:30am – 1:30pm
Location: Eastview Campus, Building 2000 | African American Cultural Center
Presenters: Brian Joseph, Generational Artists Collective XYZ & Kemi Yemi-Ese, Genesis Torres
Description: Local artists will present work, discuss factors that influence and inspire their art, and share what it means to be a Black artist in a rapidly gentrifying space.
2/23 - Celebrating the Art of Hip Hop
Date: Friday, February 23rd, 2024
Time: 3:00pm- 7:00pm
Location: Highland Campus | Recital Hall, Building 2000 (rm 2.2560)
Facilitator: Ray Lamanna
Description: Experience an unforgettable live music event with former ACC students.
2/23 & 2/24 - Homegrown Poetic Justice: A night with Zell Miller III & T-Man Wheeler
Date: Friday, February 23rd & Saturday February 24th, 2024
Time: 5:00pm on Friday & 4:00pm on Saturday
Location: Riverside Campus & Virtual Livestream
Facilitator: Darrell Merriweather
Description: Austin Arts Hall of Fame Artist Zell Miller III and his B. Iden Payne Musical Director Thomas “T-Man” Wheeler will provide original backing music, and perform live percussion as Zell conjures poetry to inspire, mystify, educate and expose the conditions and joy of what it means to be part of the Austin Black Community.
18 and up audience only*
2/26 - The Evolution of Hip-Hop: A Cultural Movement
Date: Monday, February 26th, 2024
Time: 4:30pm- 6:30pm
Location: Riverside Campus | Auditorium, Rm 8111 & Virtual via Zoom
Facilitator: Darrell Merriweather
Description: Join film education leader and TV veteran Rakeda L. Ervin for an interactive discussion about hip-hop culture. This moderated conversation will explore the evolution of hip-hop from being hated to being celebrated. Who curates the culture and how does it shape the nation and the world? In what ways do we honor hip-hop and its contributors today? In reflecting on Black contributions, what influence will the culture have in the future?
2/27 - Understanding My Love for African American history and culture: Q&A with Professor Roland Hayes
Date: Tuesday, February 27th, 2024
Time: 6:00pm- 7:45pm
Location: Eastview Campus, Building 1000 | African American Cultural Center & Virtual via Zoom
Facilitator(s): Dr. Dorado Kinney
Description: Come join us for a lively discussion with Professor Roland Hayes to learn about his love for African American history and culture.
2/28 - Oak Springs Elementary Black History Month Presentation
Date: Wednesday, February 28th, 2024
Time: 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Location: Eastview Campus | African American Cultural Center
Description: The Oak Springs Elementary 4th and 5th grade classes will be showcasing their artwork in celebration of Black History Month. Please come out and support the youth in our community.
ACC Talks Black History Month
MasterClass for BHM!
MasterClass is offering a free course for Black History Month called “The History You Weren’t Taught In School – Black History, Black Freedom, and Black Love”.
Share Your Thoughts
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