Arts & Culture

Palm Beach State College is holding a series of events across the College to celebrate Black History Month.

The events started today with the opening of the “Roots of Jazz and Blues Music” exhibit at the library (second floor gallery) on the Lake Worth campus. The exhibit runs throughout the month. As part of the exhibit, jazz musician Nathan Skinner, a University of Miami graduate, will speak about the history of jazz and play the vibraphone on Feb. 19, at 12:30 p.m.

Among the events are:

• Feb. 3 —2 to 3:30 p.m., Rubenstein Pavilion, Palm Beach Gardens —Music Through the Ages featuring special music performance by the band L-Tribe. It is free to currently enrolled students, faculty and staff.

• Feb. 4 — 1:30 p.m., Room TEC 109, Belle Glade campus —Poetry Slam Contest and a special performance by The Mayhem Poets. Contest winners will have the chance to perform with The Mayhem Poets during their show at the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m.

• Feb. 9 — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Conference Room E & F Lake Worth campus — Black History Month Convocation with guest speaker William McCray, a co- founder of the Florida African-American Student Association. McCray was an admissions counselor at Florida Atlantic University in 1976 when he and five other counselors from Hillsborough Community College, Indian River Community College, Miami Dade Community College, St. Petersburg Junior College as well as the Student Government Association vice president from Florida A&M University met in Tampa to establish an organization to support African-American students through graduation. The Florida Black Student Union Association, now called the Florida African-American Student Association, represents over 200,000 students in colleges and universities throughout the state. After leaving FAU, McCray joined Florida A&M University, where he retired in 2008 after 31 years in several administrative roles.

• Feb. 12 — 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., MLK Jr. Plaza, Lake Worth campus — Freedom March, coordinated by the Black Student Union and the Student Government Association. The event will be held in honor of the historic Selma to Montgomery, Ala. march led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965 to help African-Americans gain voting rights.

• Feb. 12 — 5 to 6:16 p.m., CE 119, Lake Worth campus — “Gone but Not Forgotten” with guest speaker Donald Cleveland, who retired from Broward College in 2010 after 39 years as a counselor, coordinator and director of various programs. Cleveland will take a deeper look at African-American history going back to ancient African civilization. The event will end with a candle lighting ceremony in the MLK Jr. Plaza.

• Feb. 18 — 12:30 p.m. Rubenstein Pavilion, Palm Beach Gardens campus, Kuumba Dancers & Drummers.

• Feb. 26 —10 a.m., Rubenstein Pavilion, Palm Beach Gardens campus, Cultural Art Exhibit & Cuisines. Students, staff and faculty will have an opportunity to enjoy a free taste of either “Southern Cookin” or “Caribbean Cuisine” and tour exhibit, featuring unique and authentic artifacts.

Click here for the PBSC events calendar.