News from the Hilltop

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 31, 2012

Birmingham-Southern College announces event lineup for 2012 Black History Month celebration

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—The Office of Multicultural Affairs and Black Student Union at Birmingham-Southern are hosting a month of special activities to honor the positive impact and achievements of African Americans throughout this nation's history.

First up is Birmingham native Shelley Stewart on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 11 a.m. in the Norton Campus Center Theatre, who will deliver a keynote speech about his triumphant journey from child abuse and homelessness to becoming the president of one of the nation's top marketing firms.

A tribute in music and dance to honor those who were active in the Birmingham civil rights movement will feature BSC's Hilltop Singers, dance program students, and One-A-Chord Gospel Choir as well as praise dancers and singers from a local church. The performance will be held Sunday, Feb. 26, at 5:30 p.m. in the College Theatre.

There will also be documentary film viewings, a community panel, and a lecture by Jefferson County Circuit Judge Helen Shores Lee on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 11 a.m. in Harbert Auditorium.

All events will be held on the campus (excluding tour of Birmingham Civil Rights Institute) and are free and open to the public. View the full list of BSC Black History Month activities below.

For more information about any of the events, contact Erica Brown, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, at 205-226-4733 or ebrown@bsc.edu.

2012 Black History Month Schedule

Feb. 7, 11 a.m., Norton Campus Center Theatre
Speaker: Dr. Shelley Stewart
Hear the amazing story about the life of one of the most successful businessmen in Alabama. Learn about his triumphant journey from child abuse and homelessness to becoming the president of one of the nation’s top marketing firms.
EEIS #3624.

Feb. 9, 7 p.m., Hanson Loft
Film: When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, Spike Lee

Feb. 14, 7 p.m., Hanson Loft
Film: African American Lives, Henry Louis Gates

Feb. 16, 3:30 p.m., Norton Campus Center Theatre
Community Panel: “The Dream Realized: Defining the Black Professional"
EEIS #3629.

Feb. 19, 2 p.m.
Tour of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Meet at the turnabout outside the Norton Campus Center.

Feb. 23, 7 p.m., Hanson Loft
Film: When We Were Kings, Leon Gast

Feb. 26, 5:30 p.m., College Theatre
Of One A-Chord Performance
This celebration through music and dance will feature the BSC One-A-Chord Gospel Choir, Sixth Avenue Baptist Church choirs, and the BSC Hilltop Singers—all combined. In addition, the event will feature the Sixth Avenue Baptist Liturgical Dance Ministry and students of the college’s dance program. The two-act presentation will commence with a dance segment that parallel historical events of the Birmingham civil rights movement. These tragic, yet significant events affected change across the nation and propelled Birmingham into the national spotlight as a beacon of hope for justice and equality. The second act will highlight each choir singing various selections and close out with a dynamic choral presentation featuring the combined choirs. This event is free and open to the public. To reserve tickets go to: http://ofoneachord.eventbrite.com.
EEIS #3626.

Feb. 28, 11 a.m., Harbert Auditorium
Speaker: Judge Helen Shores Lee
Lee is Jefferson County circuit court judge and the daughter of the late Arthur Davis Shores, a pioneering black attorney, who starting in the late 1930's, rigorously fought to end discriminatory laws. He won crucial cases involving voting rights, pay equality for railroad workers, and, most famously, the Lucy v. Adams U.S. Supreme Court case that forced the University of Alabama to integrate its student body.
EEIS #3630.