By Wally Perez
gperez239@student.alamo.edu
This college will be celebrating Black History Month with activities, events and performances beginning with “Charleston: Grace Through Tragedy.”
The event is co-sponsored by The Ranger, and will feature photographer Paul Zoeller and reporter Christina Elmore of The Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C., at 10:50 a.m. today in the auditorium of McAllister Fine Arts Center.
They will discuss their experiences covering events last year such as the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church shooting, the shooting of Walter Scott, the Confederate flag controversy and flooding in Charleston.
Later in the month, there will be HIV and Hepatitis C testing for AIDS awareness, which is sponsored by the San Antonio AIDS Foundation, as well as information distribution and education 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Monday in the mall.
A dating game is scheduled for 11 a.m. Feb. 11 in the cafeteria of Loftin Student Center. Selected contestants will be awarded prizes. Those interested should email Dee Dixon, student success specialist, at ldixon4@alamo.edu.
Dixon has been a part of the Black History Month Committee since 2012 and wants people to understand the importance surrounding Black History Month.
“You have to know your history — you have to look for it,” Dixon said. “If we don’t talk about the contributions to history, they may be lost in time.”
The Dallas Black Theatre will be performing an assortment of dances at 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Feb. 12 in McAllister, presented by this college’s Fine Arts and Cultural Series Committee.
The Dallas Black Theatre was founded in 1976 to inspire minorities to express themselves in dance and is composed of all races, ages and backgrounds.
The dancers perform to a mixed repertory of jazz, ethnic and spiritual pieces by nationally and internationally recognized choreographers, according to dbdt.com.
A poetry slam featuring local spoken-word poets Mondrea Harmon and Tasha Green will begin at 11 a.m. Feb. 18 in the cafeteria of Loftin.
Prizes will be awarded those who recite. To sign up, call 210-486-0598.
“People really seemed to enjoy the poetry last year during Black History Month,” Dixon said. “We’re hoping for a good turnout.”
Dixon said the audience last year responded well to Green’s reading of “Grace” and hopes she does it again.
Returning for its third year, the African Festival will be 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Feb. 25 in the Fiesta Room of Loftin. Percussionist T-Bow Gonzales and Deirdre Lacour, assistant dance director for Urban-15, will perform percussion demonstrations by Gonzales and capoeira demonstrations by Lacour.
There will be authentic food and drink from the central and western regions of Africa, Dixon said.
The month will close out with a performance by this college’s Concert Choir and Chamber Singers who will perform gospel, spirituals and jazz written by black composers 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25 in McAllister.
All events are free and open to the public.
For more information, call Barbara Knotts, director of creative multimedia, at 210-486-0593.