United Black World Month
Every February, the Student Life Center for Belonging and Social Change, in collaboration with offices and student organizations across campus, recognizes United Black World Month (UBWM). This month-long celebration reflects on the experiences and contributions of persons of African descent.
Are you hosting an event for United Black World Month? Let us know! Submit your event, and we'll add it to this calendar!
2024 Calendar of Events
CBSC Events
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Trip
Date: Saturday, February 3, 2024
Time: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Location: Ohio Union to Cincinnati, OH
Join the Student Life Center for Belonging and Social Change, in partnership with the Ohio Union Activities Board and Undergraduate Student Government's Black Caucus, for a day trip to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Through this experience, participants will have the opportunity to engage in exhibits and educational resources that ignite dialogue and action to foster inclusive spaces within communities.
Transportation and meals (grab-n-go breakfast/lunch) will be provided. Breakfast will be available in the CBSC's Alonso Family Room starting at 9 a.m. and buses will depart from the Ohio Union at 9:30 a.m. To sign up for the lottery selection, please visit go.osu.edu/freedomcentertrip! If you'd like to learn more about the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, feel free to visit their website. For more info, contact Seneca Crump at crump.77@osu.edu.
The Equi-TEA
Date: Thursday, February 15, 2024
Time: 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Location: Ohio Union, Performance Hall
Join us for The Equi-TEA -- A celebration and discussion of Black women, Gender Equity and Intersectional Experiences. The event includes group discussion, interactive booths and stations, light finger foods and a panel. Presented by: the Center for Belonging and Social Change, Office of Student Life, African Youth League at Ohio State, Office of Diversity and Inclusion's Hale Black Cultural Center, The Queer Black Coalition, NAACP at Ohio State, Ohio Women's Alliance, and African American Heritage Fest. For more info, contact Charity Martin-King at Martin-King.1@osu.edu.
Register at go.osu.edu/equitea.
Say It Loud: Queer, Black, and Proud! (DICE)
Date: Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Time: 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Location: Ohio Union, Center for Belonging and Social Change, Alonso Family Room
In celebration of United Black World Month, this event seeks to highlight the diversity of Ohio State’s Black community through centering the voices of Black students who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Hosted by SHADES, The Black Queer Coalition, and the Center for Belonging and Social Change, this panel will explore how race, gender, and sexuality intersect in the lives of Black and queer young adults. We will also discuss allyship and strategies to support the Black and LGBTQIA+ folks in our lives. Snacks will be served! This event is eligible for 1 DICE credit. For more info, contact Ari Grubaugh at grubaugh.20@osu.edu.
Alonso Family Dialogue Series: Navigating Natural Hair in Professional Spaces (DICE)
Date: Thursday, February 22, 2024
Time: 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: Ohio Union, Center for Belonging and Social Change, Alonso Family Room
Hosted by the CBSC and the Natural and Prosperous Society (NAPS), this upcoming dialogue will discuss our natural hair journeys and how it has impacted our self-esteem, both personally and professionally, throughout our lives. Join us as we delve into this topic and gain insight from each other about the importance of self-acceptance and self-care of natural hair.
The Alonso Family Dialogue Series is a series of programs for individuals to engage with others, hear other perspectives, and make new connections.
The Art of Black Wall Street: Honoring the Essence of Black Creativity & Ambition
Date: Friday, February 23, 2024
Time: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Location: Hale Black Cultural Center (Hale Hall), MLK Auditorium
As part of African American Heritage Festival, this event will commemorate not only the incredible legacy of Black Wall Street, but also spotlight the artistic brilliance that flourished during that era! As we delve into the rich history of Black economic empowerment and creativity, this event will create a connection between the campus and Columbus community, exposing students to various artistic endeavors. Also, the event will educate students on the history of Black Wall Street and the impact it continues to have on the Black community, while encouraging students to continue seeking generational wealth in their lives. For more info, contact. For more info, contact Seneca Crump at crump.77@osu.edu.
The African American Heritage Festival is a venue of celebration, education and collaboration with African American students as well as the general student population. With a culmination of events and programs over several days, we hope to continue the rich legacy of the Heritage Festival by building a strong community and sense of unification. To learn more about AAHF, visit heritagefestival.osu.edu.
CBSC Student Conference (DICE)
Date: Sunday, February 25, 2024
Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Ohio Union
Join us for the 2nd annual Center for Belonging and Social Change Student Conference!
Registration, including a continental breakfast, opens at 8:30 a.m. and the conference kicks off promptly at 9:00 a.m. The opening session will feature Javier Sanchez: Author, Performer, Filmmaker and Entrepreneur. Music will be provided by DJ Quickmode!
Breakfast and lunch are included and the conference is FREE for current Ohio State undergraduate and graduate students. We hope you will spread the word and bring a friend. Feel free to dress comfortably and be ready to interact, engage, network, discuss and uplift! The agenda includes workshops, art therapy, yoga, music, prizes and more! For more info, contact Charity Martin-King at Martin-King.1@osu.edu.
Interested students can REGISTER HERE: https://go.osu.edu/cbsc2024conference.
Things We Weren't Taught about AfroMexican History
Date: Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Time: 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Location: Ohio Union, Center for Belonging and Social Change, Alonso Family Room
In celebration of United Black World Month, this presentation will bring visibility to the ways in which Mexican History is Black History too. Presented by Dr. María Esther Hammack from Ohio State's Department of History, this event will offer an overview of a hidden history that is seldom taught in schools but one that shaped the shared stories of migration and Diaspora that connect the United States and Mexico. Additionally, Dr. Hammack will highlight a few little-known Black American actors who pursued their freedom through Underground Railroads that led them from the US to Mexican geographies.
Black Mental Health Matters
Date: Thursday, February 29, 2024
Time: 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
Location: Ohio Union, Center for Belonging and Social Change, Alonso Family Room
Whether you have already started your mental wellness journey or are just starting to get curious, this workshop is for you! We will be centering the black experience to discuss the cultural, societal, and historical barriers to mental health care, and tangible ways that you can support your mental health and wellness. Join Dr. Darreon Greer, Sr. PhD, Embedded Clinical Therapist in the Center for Belonging and Social Change for this empowering talk. For more information, contact Madison Eagle at eagle.41@osu.edu.
Registration: https://go.osu.edu/blackmentalhealthmatters.
Campus Partner Events
Legends Lecture Series: Victor L. Crawford
Date: Thursday, February 1, 2024
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Location: Gerlach Hall, Room 375; or virtually
Join Fisher’s Black MBA Association for its Legends Lecture Series throughout the month of February. The annual event, which takes place every Thursday in February, connects students, faculty and staff with successful Black business leaders, alumni and friends. This session features Victor L. Crawford, former Chief Executive Officer of the Pharmaceutical Division of Cardinal Health. Food will be provided. For more information and registration options, visit the Legends Lecture Series page.
United Black World Month Movie and Discussion
Date: Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Time: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Location: Hale Black Cultural Center (Hale Hall), MLK Auditorium
Join the Hale Black Cultural Center to watch The Woman King and discuss the cultural impact of the film’s contents during a comprehensive roundtable discussion. The Woman King is a historical epic inspired by true events that took place in The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries. Popcorn, candy, and beverages provided. For more info, contact Courtney Gandy at gandy.8@osu.edu.
Aux Chord Wars: Live Musical Gameshow
Date: Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Time: Doors Open at 6:30 p.m.; Show Starts at 7:00 p.m.
Location: Ohio Union, Performance Hall
Undergraduate Society of Black Leaders is bringing AuxCordWars on Wednesday, February 7th! Come out and enjoy a great time of music, cash prizes and so many giveaways! Doors open at 6:30pm!
Contact usblosu@gmail.com for more information.
Legends Lecture Series: Fisher Black Faculty Legends Panel
Date: Thursday, February 8, 2024
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Location: Blackwell Inn, Blackwell Ballroom BC; or virtually
Join Fisher’s Black MBA Association for its Legends Lecture Series throughout the month of February. The annual event, which takes place every Thursday in February, connects students, faculty and staff with successful Black business leaders, alumni and friends. This session features Black Fischer faculty members James Hill, Tracy Dumas, Cynthia Turner, Justin Birru, Terry Esper, and W.C. Benton. Food will be provided. For more information and registration options, visit the Legends Lecture Series page.
TEATRO Presents "Marching On: The Fight for School Integration in Hillsboro, Ohio" Experience
Date: Thursday, February 8, 2024
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Location: Gateway Film Center (1550 N. High St.)
Humanities Program coordinator and historian, Dr. Melvin Barnes will lead a powerful discussion and viewing of the film he helped create that focuses on how a group of Ohio mothers facilitated social change for their children during the American Civil Rights Movement. Light refreshments and talk back session with Dr. Barnes will be featured during this event. For more info, contact Julius William Mayo at mayo.2@osu.edu.
Please register at forms.office.com/r/DJ8D04gpWk
Art Gala
Date: Friday, February 9, 2024
Time: 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Location: Hale Black Cultural Center (Hale Hall)
The Art Showcase aims to provide ODI scholars with a platform to showcase art of various mediums (paintings, pottery, photography, etc.) that highlight issues that marginalized groups experience. Emphasis will be placed on art that showcases social issues or the empowerment of Black and African people in America, as the exhibition of this art will take place during Black History Month. In addition to the visual arts, performance arts (jazz instrumental groups, gospel choirs, etc.) will also have a chance to be highlighted during an event intermission. Food will be served just outside the main exhibition room for people to enjoy as they view the art. Another exhibition room will be set up for the art that pertains to social issues outside the Black and African American experience. This event is hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in partnership with Buckeyes Racial Ethnic/Equity Awareness Centered in Healthcare (BREACH). The dress code is formal/cocktail. For more info, contact Praem Jagabandhu at jagabandhu.3@buckeyemail.osu.edu.
Affirmation Station
Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Time: All day
Location: Hale Black Cultural Center (Hale Hall), MLK Library (room 110)
Feed your soul with some inspirational affirmation creation! Assorted candy and arts and crafts supplies provided. For more info, contact Courtney Gandy at gandy.8@osu.edu.
Unrequited: The Paradox of Black Appalachia
Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Time: 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Location: 165 Thompson Library
The Center for Folklore studies will host Kenton Butcher, assistant professor of English at Bucknell University and president of the Tablertown Museum in Athens County, Ohio. One of the community partners of Ohio Field School, the Tablertown Museum preserves the history and legacy of Tablertown, a rural Black enclave in southeast Ohio established in the 1830s. Butcher will present "Unrequited: The Paradox of Black Appalachia" on February 14 at 4 pm in 165 Thompson Library.
This presentation explores the intersection of rurality and blackness by analyzing a cultural institution, the Tablertown Museum, in Appalachian Ohio, and it posits that “unrequited” may be a better descriptor of the community’s understanding of its internal and external relations within Appalachia. In its efforts to preserve Tablertown’s oral history and its existential struggles through periods marked by slavery, Native American displacement, segregation, economic underdevelopment, and environmental degradation, the Tablertown Museum grapples with these legacies within the physical and cultural space of Appalachia and the neoliberal quagmire that is nonprofit status. This presentation explores how the Tablertown Museum represents a community forged at the frequently unrecognized intersection of "Black" and "Appalachia" and its ongoing struggles with self-definition, cultural preservation, and economic survival.
This event is free and open to the public. Co-sponsored by the Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme, the Department of Comparative Studies, the English Department and OSU Libraries. Please visit the event webpage or contact Megan Moriarty (moriarty.8@osu.edu) for more information.
Trap & Paint: The Re-Up
Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Time: 5 p.m. - 7 p.m
Location: Hale Black Cultural Center (Hale Hall), MLK Auditorium
Come vibe to today’s hottest trap music paint demonstration led by local renowned artist, Arris Cohen. Connect with the Hale Black Cultural Center community while creating a Black love themed masterpiece as a keepsake! For more info, contact Taylor Washington at washington.199@osu.edu.
Legends Lecture Series: J. Averi Frost
Date: Thursday, February 15, 2024
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Location: Gerlach Hall, Room 375; or virtually
Join Fisher’s Black MBA Association for its Legends Lecture Series throughout the month of February. The annual event, which takes place every Thursday in February, connects students, faculty and staff with successful Black business leaders, alumni and friends. This session features J. Averi Frost, Executive Director of the Central Ohio African American Chamber of Commerce. Food will be provided. For more information and registration options, visit the Legends Lecture Series page.
Black On Earth
Date: Friday, February 16 and Saturday, Febraury 17, 2024
Time: 7:30 p.m - 8:30 p.m.
Location: Sullivant Hall, Barnett Theatre
Hosted by the Department of Dance, this event showcases an innovative and thought-provoking interdisciplinary project by MFA Dance Students Ricarrdo Valentine and Orlando Hunter that seamlessly integrates dance, agriculture and technology to explore the stories and experiences of black farmers. Tickets are $5. For more info or to buy tickets, visit dance.osu.edu/events/black-earth.
Power Moves: Black Excellence in the Workplace
Date: Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Time: 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Location: Townshend Hall, Room 255
Hosted by the Arts and Sciences Center for Career and Professional Success, this event is an open discussion forum designed to empower Black students as they navigate the professional landscape. The event is a safe space for Black students to share their experiences, concerns, and aspirations about entering the workforce. It's an opportunity to connect with fellow Black students and build a community of support. Students will discover strategies for overcoming challenges, building confidence, and finding their voice in professional settings. For more info, contact Barbara Harvey at harvey.669@osu.edu.
Please register.
An Invisible Impediment to Progress: Perceptions of Racialization in the Nonprofit Sector
Date: Wednesday February 21, 2024
Time: Noon - 1 p.m.
Location: Page Hall, Room 130
In honor of United Black World Month, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee of John Glenn College proudly presents Dr. Greg Wilson, who will give a student-centered talk on racialization in the nonprofit sector. As a public good, the nonprofit sector is often thought of as a race-neutral space where success or failure is the result of individual decision-making, capacity issues, or inability to behave like successful organizations. Dr. Wilson's study challenges a belief of the sector as race-neutral by presenting findings that illustrate how Black-led organizations (BLOs) perceive racialization across key areas of organizations. Pizza lunch provided.
Legends Lecture Series: C. Sunny Martin
Date: Thursday, February 22, 2024
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Location: Gerlach Hall, Room 375; or virtually
Join Fisher’s Black MBA Association for its Legends Lecture Series throughout the month of February. The annual event, which takes place every Thursday in February, connects students, faculty and staff with successful Black business leaders, alumni and friends. This session features C. Sunny Martin, managing partner at Mahogany Media Group. Food will be provided. For more information and registration options, visit the Legends Lecture Series page.
2024 Dr. Wilburn H. Weddington Lecture: Health Justice: Fulfilling the Promise of Medicine
Date: Friday, February 23, 2024
Time: Noon - 1 p.m.
Location: Virtual via Zoom
The Department of Family and Community Medicine cordially invites you to attend the 2024 Dr. Wilburn H. Weddington Lecture via Zoom. Ruqaiijah Yearby, JD, MPH, will be discussing “Health Justice: Fulfilling the Promise of Medicine.” Professor Yearby is the Kara J. Trott Professor in Health Law at Moritz College of Law and professor in the Department of Health Services Management and Policy at the College of Public Health. She is also co-founder of the Institute for Healing Justice & Equity and one of the co-founders of the Collaborative for Anti-Racism & Equity. This series is sponsored by the Department of Family and Community Medicine Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. If you are interested in attending, please register at go.osu.edu/WeddingtonLecture. If you have questions, please contact Angela U. Tucker MD at FamilyDEI@osumc.edu.
About the Dr. Wilburn H. Weddington Lecture Series: Dr. Weddington was the first African American to earn Professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, was part of our department, and served the Columbus community for over 60 years.
Who is a Survivor? Sexual Violence in the Black Male Community
Date: Monday, February 26, 2024
Time: 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Ohio Union, Creative Arts Room
Hosted by It's On Us, this event is a discussion-based awareness and educational program focused on highlighting the often overlooked experiences of Black men as survivors of sexual violence. Sexual violence has been weaponized against Black men in a multitude of forms since slavery, and continues to be utilized as a mechanism of oppression to this day. By confronting stereotypes and challenging societal norms, we strive to empower survivors and advocate for greater awareness and support for Black male survivors of sexual violence. For more info, contact Peter Madison at madison.173@osu.edu.
Lunch and Learn
Date: Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Time: 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Location: Hale Black Cultural Center (Hale Hall), MLK Auditorium
Join the Hale Black Cultural Center for lunch as we connect with one another while enjoying an uplifting and motivating keynote to ignite self-love! Connect with Ohio State faculty and learn about their areas of expertise. For more info, contact Taylor Washington at washington.199@osu.edu.
Celebrating Black History Month and Black Hair with Dr. Tameka Ellington
Date: Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Time: 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Thompson Library, 11th floor
Join University Libraries for a conversation and book signing with author Dr. Tameka Ellington, The Black Beauty Activist. The conversation will be moderated by Associate Professor & Education Librarian, Deidra N. Herring. Dr. Tameka will discuss her research regarding Black hair, Black culture and her latest book Black Hair in a White World. She will also take some questions from the audience. Purchase books in advance on Dr. Tameka's website or from Amazon. Please allow 4 weeks for order processing and delivery. A limited number of books will be available for purchase at the event as well. Special door prizes will be available and light refreshments will be served. Many thanks to our event co-sponsor: Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center. RSVP by February 20 at osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9LHYKW3cH7qNi0m. For more info, contact Quanetta Batts at batts.8@osu.edu.
Legends Lecture Series: Stephanie Green
Date: Thursday, February 29, 2024
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Location: Gerlach Hall, Room 375; or virtually
Join Fisher’s Black MBA Association for its Legends Lecture Series throughout the month of February. The annual event, which takes place every Thursday in February, connects students, faculty and staff with successful Black business leaders, alumni and friends. This session features Stephanie Green, Regional President of Fifth Third Bank. Food will be provided. For more information and registration options, visit the Legends Lecture Series page.