African American Heritage Trail

Reflections Unveiled: A Journey Through Self-Portrait Poetry
2024-06-26 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | Urbana Free Library, 201 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL, 61801
Join The Urbana Free Library for an evening filled with heartfelt emotions, captivating poetry, and soulful movement. Delve into the essence of self-discovery in this special workshop led by Ja Nelle Davenport-Pleasure. No previous writing experience necessary. For adults.
Ja Nelle Davenport-Pleasure is multi-talented artist. She is a poet and spoken word performer, an avid dancer, and a jewelry and recycled clothing designer. Davenport-Pleasure was selected as the 2020 Artist Ace Awards winner and also founded Cinderella/Cinderfella, a ballroom dance troupe for children. This year, she will release her fourth book of poetry. Ja Nelle strives to help people of all ages express themselves creatively through writing, spoken word, music, dance, and other art forms.
Sponsored by The Urbana Free Library Foundation’s Nick Rudd Music Fund.

The Library is committed to making programs accessible for all. If you need an accommodation to attend a program, please let the Library know at least two weeks in advance. To request an accommodation, contact the Programming and Outreach Manager via email at programming@urbanafree.org or via phone at 217-367-4057.

26th Annual MLK Jettie Rhodes Neighborhood Day
2024-06-22 12:00 - 16:00 | King Park, 915 W. Wascher Dr., Urbana, IL
In partnership with the City of Urbana, the Jettie Rhodes Neighborhood Committee is excited to invite you to join us for the 26th Annual Martin Luther King Jettie Rhodes Neighborhood Day Celebration. This event was founded by the late Mrs. Jettie Rhodes who had a famous quote: “Who’s your neighbor?” This day is all about giving back to the community with fun, family, networking, and a diverse atmosphere. Enjoy free food (while supplies last), live entertainment, kids’ activities, raffle prizes, and a wealth of resourceful information provided by various local nonprofits at this family friendly event. Last year’s event hosted nearly 80 tables. This is an event you will not want to miss!
Saturday, June 22, 2024
12:00 PM – 04:00 PM
rain (no lightning) or shine
King Park
915 W. Wascher Street
Urbana, IL 61801
This event is non-partisan, however, we encourage voter registration and education tables.
If you have questions, please email jettierhodes@yahoo.com.

Nurtured in Nature: Summer BIPOC Hiking Event
2024-06-22 10:00 - 15:00 | River Bend Forest Preserve, Mahomet, IL, 61853
Join us for a community, nature-based community wellness event intentionally for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) community members of Champaign County. Organized by the Nurtured in Nature team of Healthy Champaign County and led by Chicago-based non profit BPO Hikes guiding BIPOC community members on a communal, social-oriented hike that aims to foster new friendships, mitigate long-held nature-based traumas, and forge new and rejuvenating connections and discovery with nature.

Location: River Bend Forest Preserve – Mahomet, Illinois
Date: Saturday, June 22nd
Arrival Time: 10:00 am
Hiking Time: 10:30am – 11:45am – Dogleg Loop & Woodland Trail (2.5 miles with extended options)
Social Time: 1:00pm-3:00pm – Possibility Pier

Please register below! Once you sign up, we will email you more details about your visit.
Important Details:

This event is intended for BIPOC community members.
The hiking event will have a capacity of 50 hikers with registration closing once at capacity.
This event will be facilitated in English with support from Spanish translators.
This event is free.
The River Bend route is an unpaved trail, wilderness trail allowing for limited mobility.
To register, you must be at least 18 years old. Hikers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
All attendees must abide by the rules and regulations of Champaign County Forest Preserve District.
An attendance stipend of $50 will be provided to up to 10 qualifying low-income attendees. You must be a Champaign County resident to receive the stipend.
Transportation is available for residents from Champaign-Urbana. Participants residing outside of Champaign County must coordinate transportation to the event.

For more information, please contact Nurtured in Nature Project Director, Tomas Delgado at tddelg@gmail.com.

How to prepare for your hike:
Dress appropriately for the weather. Dressing in layers is recommended so you are ready for any weather changes during the walk. This is a rain or shine event, with the only exception being if there is a lightning, thunderstorm, or hail.
Bring water to stay hydrated throughout the walk. Access to drinking water and bathrooms may be limited at times. During your walk, you will have opportunities to sit on the ground.
First Aid materials are one site. However, please be prepared for various elements, with the possibility of (but not limited to): sunburns, bug bites, and allergens. Wearing closed footwear (not sandals) and socks and tucking pants into socks is recommended. These are personal choices and the responsibility will be left up to each individual.
Volunteer Mental Health support is available should you desire to speak with someone.

Please reach out if there are any accessibility requests.
We look forward to welcoming you and providing a nurturing space for your well-being.

Register online here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdpLx4GEC6fUDeA9mOceP5geojaHTVRR5gj2KPIoNFuGhrlwg/viewform?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0Coo3USNeFhEy6bSAtYkapDPIiVGd-BV2NnN6F50Ic7xfm9wh0JIoKZMU_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw

Krannert Uncorked with Syleena Johnson – Special Juneteenth Celebration
2024-06-20 17:00 - 20:00 | Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL, 61801
Join the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, June 20 at Krannert Center Uncorked for a special Juneteenth celebration presented in collaboration with Illinois Soul 101.1 FM! The party begins at 5pm with a cash bar, promotional giveaways, and music provided by Illinois Soul, with a performance on Stage 5 at 6pm by Grammy-nominated R&B recording artist Syleena Johnson.
A Chicago native, Syleena Johnson is one of the most visible R&B vocalists touring today. Her sultry voice, combined with her timeless beauty, classic style, and piercing delivery has made her a fan-favorite for nearly twenty years. She has released 11 albums since 1998 and has recorded with Kanye West, Cam’ron, KRS-One, Twista and Musiq Soulchild, among many others. Her latest single, “Black Balloon,” is an inspiring masterwork of contemporary R&B/soul.
For more information, visit: https://krannertcenter.com/node/21223

Juneteenth Day Party at Neil St. Blues
2024-06-19 16:00 - 20:00 | IL
It’s that time again! Join Neil St. Blues for their annual Juneteenth Celebration! Juneteenth falls on a week day this year, but that don’t stop the celebration! Featuring a full dinner buffet, sounds by DJ Frostbyte, drink specials, and unlimited fun!
Juneteenth Day Party
June 19th at 4:00 PM
Neil St. Blues, Champaign, Illinois
Sounds by DJ Frostbyte
Bring your friends and family for an unforgettable celebration filled with great food, music, and fun. Let’s make this Juneteenth one to remember!
See you there!
For more information, visit: https://www.neilstblues.com/events/juneteenth-celebration

Juneteenth Field Day at Colbert Park
2024-06-19 14:00 - 18:00 | Colbert Park, 203 E. Church St., Savoy, IL
The celebration will take place at Dana Colbert Park, 203 E. Church St., in Savoy.
For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/421631033967257/?ref=newsfeed

Juneteenth Film Screening & Community Discussion: Media Justice's "Deeper Than A Div/de"
2024-06-17 17:30 - 19:00 | Independent Media Center, 202 S. Broadway, Suite 100, Urbana, IL, 61801
The Campus-Community Compact to Accelerate Social Justice, The Illinois Broadband Lab, The Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center, and i3 Broadband are proud to host a Juneteenth screening of the Media Justice film “Deeper Than a Div/ide,” to be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers and local leaders about racial disparities in digital equity in our community.
The event begins at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, June 17, at the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center. Dinner will be served, and it’s free and open to the public.
Please pass the word to any interested community members. We hope to see you there!

Juneteenth Celebration (Urbana Park District)
2024-06-16 13:00 - 15:00 | Crystal Lake, 206 W. Park St., Urbana, IL
All welcome to celebrate!

Join Urbana Park District and The Urbana Free Library for a family friendly Juneteenth celebration at the Lake House in Crystal Lake Park!
Enjoy music, food and refreshments, fishing, UrVANa Mobile Recreation Unit games and activities, community resources, and more as we celebrate Black freedom and achievements in Urbana and beyond.
Sunday, June 16, 2024

01:00 PM – 03:00 PM
Crystal Lake Park
206 W. Park Street
Urbana, IL 61801217-367-1544

Pre-Juneteenth Celebration at Neil St. Blues
2024-06-15 22:00 - 23:00 | Neil St. Blues, 301 N Neil St, Champaign, IL, 61820
Pre-Juneteenth Celebration at Neil St. Blues!
Join us for an unforgettable night of music, food, and celebration as we kick off Juneteenth festivities early!
Date: Saturday, June 15, 2024 Time: 10:00 PM Location: Neil St. Blues, 301 N. Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820
We’re bringing you the best vibes curated by the one and only Greg 2 Hype! Get ready to dance the night away and enjoy the incredible vibes at Neil St. Blues.
Kitchen Open: Satisfy your late-night cravings with our delicious menu! Drink Specials: Sip on our specially crafted cocktails all night long. Cover: $10
This is an event you won’t want to miss! Bring your friends, celebrate freedom, and let’s make this a night to remember.
Must be 21+ to enter
For more information, call us at 217-531-1150

For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/1176125036898514/

Juneteenth Emancipation Day Celebration (Champaign Park District)
2024-06-15 12:00 - 15:00 | Douglass Park, 804 N. Fifth Street, Champaign, IL, 61820
Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration commemorating the abolition of slavery in the United States, is one event you don’t want to miss. At Douglass Park, enjoy music and visit different vendors while learning about this important holiday. Children can make arts and crafts, play on the bounce house and obstacle course, or get soaked in the Splash Pad.

Douglass Park

501 E Eureka St.
Champaign, 61820

MTD's Juneteenth Block Party
2024-06-14 16:30 - 19:30 | Illinois Terminal, 45 E. University Ave., Champaign, IL, 61820
Please join MTD for a Juneteenth Block Party on Friday, June 14, from 4:30pm to 7:30pm in the parking lot of Illinois Terminal in downtown Champaign. Black history is American history and MTD invites the entire community to join us for this family-friendly event that celebrates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.

MTD and our community partners have created a space to connect with one another and support the observance of Juneteenth through local art, history, music, and food. This event is free to the public and will occupy a portion of the parking lot in front of Illinois Terminal at University Ave. and Market St.

Please come enjoy the entertainment program, which includes:

4:30pm – 7:30pm Juneteenth Bus with Mobile History ExhibitThe bus will be on display to view the exterior artwork and the history exhibit onboard.

4:30pm-7:30pm Local Black History DisplayTake a break from the heat and head up to the second floor of Illinois Terminal for a new installation that highlights local Black history in Champaign County. This work is presented by the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail.

4:30pm – 7:30pm Food TrucksFood will be available for purchase from Mama Duke’s homestyle BBQ, Sugga Shaii Sweets, and Fernando’s Tacos!

4:30PM Welcome(includes words from employees on MTD’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee, who made this all possible with their efforts to elevate Black voices in our community and American history. Other brief speakers include MTD leadership, as well as our partners involved in creating the mobile exhibit: local Artists BLACKMAU and the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail.

4:40pm Vocalist ensemble, In The WingsA celebration of inspiration hymns including Lift Every Voice and Sing (Black National Anthem), Star Spangled Banner, Optimistic, What a Friend, and other pieces by Black composers

5:15pm Royal Diamonds Dance Team (Urbana High School)This group will get everyone energized and ready to dance with their performance!

6:00pm Chris Chism & Co. Musical PerformanceLocal singer/songwriter, Chris Chism, and his band will offer a musical performance that crosses cultural and generational barriers to guarantee maximum fun is had by all.

Juneteenth 2024: Reflections and Reverence Ceremony
2024-06-14 11:00 - 13:00 | Urbana City Hall, 400 S. Vine St., Urbana, IL
The City of Urbana Office of Human Rights and Equity and the Juneteenth 2024 Committee enthusiastically announce an event in honor of the Juneteenth holiday!
The event, “Juneteenth 2024: Reflections and Reverence Ceremony,” occurs at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, June 14, 2024, at Urbana City Hall. This public event will feature a very special program in the Council Chambers. Also, the day will include an exhibit and tabling in the lobby. Doors will open at 11 a.m.
“Following the inside portion of the program, we will invite attendees to head outside for a Juneteenth flag raising ceremony,” Carla Boyd, Human Rights and Equity Officer for the City of Urbana, said. “A great strength of Urbana is the richness in diversity of its residents and their histories. The City once again recognizes Juneteenth as we continue to promote a strong and inclusive community.”
For more information, visit: https://www.chambanamoms.com/events/juneteenth-2024-reflections-and-reverence-ceremony/

Urbana Poet Laureate Celebration
2024-05-05 13:00 - 16:00 | Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, Urbana, IL
This year, the 2024 Poet Laureate is none other than one of the Black Joy Project curators, Ruby Mendenhall, and the Spurlock Museum is proud to host a poetry-writing workshop in her honor. Learn what inspires Ruby to express herself creatively and hear from her mentors. Then, discover what inspires you!
Workshop attendees will enjoy:

Hearing from Ruby and some very special guests
Poetry readings, spoken word, music, and art
Snacks
A poetry-writing workshop for those aspiring to enter next year!

The City of Urbana Poet Laureate program(external link) launched in 2019 to “recognize a resident poet who honors and serves our diverse community and elevates the importance of the creative writing art form.”
The program includes a youth component starting at age 12: teachers and parents, do you have a child just dying to express themselves? This may be THE event for them!
This program is partially sponsored by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

OPEN MIKE EAGLE w/ $imba P & A$AVV
2024-04-19 21:00 - 23:30 | Canopy Club, 708 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL, 61801
9pm doors / 10pm show
w/ $imba P & A$AVV
Purchase tickets here: https://canopyclub.com/event/open-mike-eagle/red-room/
Humor can conceal and alleviate the pain of trauma, but no joke will erase it. Even Wu-Tang Clan told you that tears come after laughter. Relief comes only from opening every emotional and psychological wound.
Open Mike Eagle spent the 2010s finding comedy in rap music and American nightmares. On albums like ​Brick Body Kids Still Daydream ​and ​Dark Comedy​, he delivered hilarious socio-political insights via half-sung verses laid atop progressive production. Acclaim from publications like ​Pitchfork,​ ​Rolling Stone​, and​ NPR​ coincided with headlining solo tours and top-billing at events like Adult Swim Festival. Between studio sessions, Eagle co-founded The New Negroes, a standup-meets-music variety show that explores perceptions of blackness. He and co-founder Baron Vaughn brought the show to Upright Citizens Brigade, Comedy Central, and venues around the U.S. Since founding his record label Auto Reverse Records, though, Eagle has scaled back the jokes. He’s finally unpacking his traumas and acknowledging their impact.
With over a dozen solo and collaborative projects to his name, Eagle has spent his career redefining and expanding the parameters of “art rap,” the term he coined as a shorthand for leftfield and avant-garde rap music. On ​Dark Comedy,​ which Pitchfork called “one of the most compelling indie-rap listens of [2014],” he chronicled everything from smartphone addiction to the realities of being an indie artist in the streaming era with self-deprecation and side-splitting absurdity. 2017’s ​Brick Body Kids Still Daydream​ (Mello Music Group) marked Eagle’s shift toward examining trauma. Here he waded through the rubble of Chicago’s demolished Robert Taylor Homes, where several family members once lived. Part documentary and part tribute, BBKSD b​ lended powerful fantasy and grim reality. It illustrated the strength and vulnerability of a community afflicted by institutional racism and the enduring pains of life in the projects. There were few jokes but decades of survival.
Anime, Trauma, and Divorce​ is Eagle’s first full-length album on Auto Reverse and the most personal project of his career. On the verge of middle age, reeling from the collapse of his marriage, he probes the darkness of his past and searches for lights to guide him forward. This is the sound of a broken man sifting through the pieces while trying to rebuild, the struggle to self-critique while practicing self-care. Do you disassociate by envisioning yourself as the lead in your favorite anime, or do you reflect on your headass behavior? Tattoos and beer or push-ups and smoothies? Executive produced by renowned rock producer Jacknife Lee (U2, R.E.M.), the album’s few features include Auto Reverse artist Video Dave and Eagle’s son. ​Anime, Trauma, and Divorce​ finds Eagle virtually alone, doing his best to reject the humor that will not cure his ills. All is not well, but he’s never been better.

Joy is Our Superpower: Healing and Therapy with Communities of Color
2024-04-16 11:00 - 12:30 | Zoom
Dr. Hector Adames and Dr. Nayeli Chavez-Dueñas will be presenting a public Zoom lecture titled, Joy is Our Superpower: Healing and Therapy with Communities of Color. This is part of a larger Society of Counseling Psychology initiative on Justice & Joy: Transforming Healing Praxis. This hybrid event will be held at BNAACC and on Zoom (webinar registration).

University of Illinois Black Chorus Moms Day Concert
2024-04-13 19:30 - 20:30 | Foellinger Great Hall, 709 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL, 61801
Ollie Watts Davis will conduct.

A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham Presents Repertory Works
2024-04-12 19:30 - 21:30 | Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL, 61801
MacArthur “Genius” award-winner Kyle Abraham brings his unique choreography and internationally renowned dance company, A.I.M, to perform a repertory of new and exciting works for Urbana Champaign audiences.
Considered “one of the most consistently excellent troupes working today” (The New York Times), A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham provides multifaceted performances, educational programming, and community-based workshops across the globe. Led by Abraham’s innovative vision, the work of A.I.M is galvanized by Black culture and history, and grounded in a conglomeration of unique perspectives; described by Abraham as a “post-modern gumbo” of movement exploration.
A.I.M is one of the most active touring dance companies in the United States, with an audience base as diverse as A.I.M’s movement vocabulary, drawing inspiration from a multitude of sources and dance styles. Since A.I.M’s founding in 2006, Abraham has created more than 15 original works for and with the company. To expand its repertoire and offer a breadth of dance work to audiences, A.I.M commissions new works and performs existing works by outside choreographers, such as Trisha Brown, Bebe Miller, Andrea Miller, and current A.I.M dancer Keerati Jinakunwiphat.
Program
YEAR, choreography by Andrea Miller (world premiere)
20-minute intermission
Rain, choreography by Bebe Miller.
If We Were A Love Song, choreography by Kyle Abraham in collaboration with A.I.M.
Purchase tickets here: https://krannertcenter.com/events/aim-kyle-abraham-presents-repertory-works

Crafty Adults | Black Out Poetry
2024-04-10 18:00 - 20:30 | Champaign Public Library – Main Library, 200 W. Green St., Champaign, IL, 61820
The Rare Book and Manuscript Library will be at the library to discuss blackout poetry and the Gwendolyn Brooks poetry collection. You’ll then be able to try your own blackout poetry with upcycled book pages!
Registration opens April 1 at 9:00 am (closes April 9). Registration is required.

These workshops are very popular and “sell out” quickly. Here are the details:

Classes are limited to 40 participants.
There is a small waitlist in case there are last-minute cancellations.
Craft supplies are provided.
Light Refreshments will be provided for “Happy Hour” from 6-6:30 pm.
Instruction will begin promptly at 6:30 pm.

Nurtured in Nature in Spring! Homer Lake
2024-04-07 11:00 - 15:00 | Salt Fork Center, Homer Lake, 1229 Flicker Drive, Homer, IL, 61849
A nature-based community building event for BIPOC community members of Champaign County!
Join us for a community, nature-based community wellness event intentionally for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) community members of Champaign County. Organized by the Nurtured in Nature team of Healthy Champaign County and led by Chicago-based non profit BPO Hikes guiding BIPOC community members on a communal, social-oriented hike that aims to foster new friendships, mitigate long-held nature-based traumas, and forge new and rejuvenating connections and discovery with nature.

Location: Salt Fork Center, Homer Lake – Homer, Illinois
Date: Sunday, April 7th, 2024
Arrival Time: 11:00 am
Hiking Time: 11:20am – 1:00pm – West Lake Trail (2.3 miles with extended options)
Social Time: 1:00pm-3:00pm – Salt Fork Center

Please register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScB_BSWiyo14K8qgow3YwgYm8OvPCG6SFHmmrosMmesjcQhBg/viewform?fbclid=IwAR3cg-2s5qeU5eVjTJcnmC9DiNnYPM-h-a098KfBhR0wQ6RpqhXQ44EXgjk

MLK March for Peace
2024-04-04 17:30 - 19:00 | King Park, 915 W. Wascher Dr., Urbana, IL
The Urbana Park District is hosting the Martin Luther King Day Peace March on April 4, from 5:30 to 7pm. The march takes place on the 56th anniversary of the civil rights leader’s assassination.
Originally scheduled for January 15th (King’s birthday), the event was postponed due to weather. The Peace March will now be on April 4 going forward.

People can meet at King Park (915 W. Wascher Drive) at 5:30 p.m. Tim Bartlett, Urbana Park District Executive Director, will read a Call to Peace, followed by remarks from Mayor Diane Marlin and Michael Walker, Urbana Park District Commissioner. Barbara Jones, Urbana Rotary Club President, will unveil a new work of art – the Peace Post by artists Lisa Kesler and JaNelle Davenport-Pleasure. Davenport-Pleasure, the former Urbana Poet Laureate, will give a peace message followed by a peace message from Urbana Police Chief Larry Boone.

The group will then march (or ride) over to the Douglass Center in Champaign. At 6:30, Champaign Park District Executive Director Sarah Sandquist will read a Call to Peace. Mayor Deb Feinen and others will make remarks. There will be a Peace Focus from Urbana Free Library and a MLK Exhibit at the Douglass Center. The event will conclude at 7 p.m. Busses will take people back to King Park in Urbana, as needed.

Everyone is welcome to attend! Media wishing to cover the Peace March before or during the event may contact Jameel Jones, Outreach and Wellness Manager, at (217) 367-1544.

Learn more here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1347739896189178/?ref=newsfeed

Sporting Publics Symposium | Conversation with Shakeia Taylor
2024-03-29 15:00 - 16:00 | Levis Faculty Center, 919 W. Illinois St., Room 300, Urbana, IL
Shakeia Taylor is a Chicago-based award-winning writer and storyteller, whose work focuses on the intersection of sports, history, and culture.
She is currently a Deputy Senior Content Editor at the Chicago Tribune, host of the Society for American Baseball Research’s (SABR) monthly interview series “Ballpark Figures,” and a member of the Negro Leagues and Teams Committee, a special committee convened to study other leagues and teams from Black baseball history. An advocate for diversity in journalism, she is also an active member of the Association for Women in Sports Media, the National Association of Black Journalists, and the Society for American Baseball Research.
Before joining the Chicago Tribune in 2022, Taylor was a freelance sports and culture writer, earning features in Baseball Prospectus, SB Nation, Fangraphs, Victory Journal, MLB.com, and several other publications. She has appeared on podcasts and radio shows in the U.S. and Canada, and she can be seen in ESPN’s “The Captain” and Negro League documentary “The League.”
In 2021, Shakeia received an Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) award for her Privilege of Play series on Yahoo! Sports, and won the 2021 SABR Analytics Conference Research Award for historical baseball analysis/commentary, becoming the first Black woman to ever receive the prestigious honor.
As one of the best baseball writers today, Taylor has helped shine a light on race and culture in baseball.

Sporting Publics Symposium | Panel with Louis Moore, Daniel Nasset
2024-03-29 11:00 - 12:00 | Levis Faculty Center, 919 W. Illinois St., Room 300, Urbana, IL
Professor Louis Moore will speak about his book I Fight for a Living: Boxing and the Battle for Black Manhood, 1880-1915 (University of Illinois Press, 2017). Respondent Daniel Nasset (Editor-in-Chief, University of Illinois Press) will share the editor’s perspective on turning one’s idea into a book that speaks to sporting publics. Part of the symposium Sporting Publics: History, Sports, and American Culture, which is taking place March 28–29, 2024.
About the Speaker
Louis Moore is a Professor of History at Grand Valley State University. He is the author of two books, I Fight for a Living: Boxing and the Battle for Black Manhood, 1880-1915 and We Will Win the Day: The Civil Rights Movement, the Black Athlete, and the Quest for Equality. In addition, he has two audible lectures, African American Athletes Who Made History and A Pastime of Their Own: The Story of Negro League Baseball. He has also written for various online outlets including The New York Daily News, Vox, The Global Sports Institute, First and Pen, and the African American Intellectual Historical Society, and he has appeared on NPR, MSNBC, CNN, and BBC Sports. The co-host of the Black Athlete Podcast, his latest book, The Great Black Hope: Doug Williams, Vince Evans and the Making of the Black Quarterback will be released in fall 2024.

Panel: “‘Rich and Talented and Black and Troubled’: Black Professional Athletes and the Black Freedom Struggle”
2024-03-29 09:30 - 10:30 | Levis Faculty Center, 919 W. Illinois St., Room 300, Urbana, IL
Theresa Runstedtler (American Studies, American University) will be presenting, with Daniel Gilbert (Labor and Employment Relations, History) commenting. Part of the symposium Sporting Publics: History, Sports, and American Culture, which is taking place March 28–29, 2024.
About the Speaker
Theresa Runstedtler, PhD is an award-winning scholar of African American history whose research focuses on the intersection of race, masculinity, labor, and sport. Her most recent book, Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, and the Generation that Saved the Soul of the NBA (Bold Type Books, 2023), examines how Black players transformed the professional hoops game, both on and off the court, in the 1970s. She is also the author of Jack Johnson, Rebel Sojourner: Boxing in the Shadow of the Global Color Line (UC Press, 2012), a transnational biography that explores the first African American world heavyweight champion’s legacy as a Black sporting hero and anti-colonial icon in places as far-flung as Sydney, London, Cape Town, Manila, Paris, Havana, and Mexico City. Jack Johnson, Rebel Sojourner won the 2013 Phillis Wheatley Book Prize from the Northeast Black Studies Association. Runstedtler has written for Time.com and the LA Review of Books, and shared her expertise on the History Channel, Al Jazeera America, Vox.com, NPR, and international radio outlets including the BBC and CBC. Originally from Ontario, Canada, she is a professor at American University and lives in Baltimore with her husband and son.

Interseminars | Kameelah Janan Rasheed
2024-03-04 16:00 - 17:00 | Levis Faculty Center, 919 W. Illinois St., Room 300, Urbana, IL
Kameelah Janan Rasheed (artist, educator, and writer, Cooper Union) will present an artist talk.
This event is part of the Interseminars series for “Improvise and Intervene,” supported by the Mellon Foundation.
About the Speaker
A learner, Kameelah Janan Rasheed (she/they), grapples with the poetics-pleasures-politics of Black knowledge production, information technologies, [un]learning, and belief formation. They are a recipient of a 2022 Schering Stiftung Award for Artistic Research, a 2022 Creative Capital Award, and a 2021 Guggenheim Fellowship in Fine Arts. Rasheed is the author of three artist’s books: An Alphabetical Accumulation of Approximate Observations (Endless Editions, 2019), No New Theories (Printed Matter, 2019), and the digital publication Scoring the Stacks (Brooklyn Public Library, 2021). Their writing has appeared in Triple Canopy, The New Inquiry, Shift Space, Active Cultures, and The Believer. Rasheed founded Mapping the Spirit, a digital archive documenting how Black faith lives, shifts, and self-revises. They are an adjunct instructor at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, a Critic at Yale School of Art, Sculpture, a Mentor-in-Residence with NEW Inc., and a repeat instructor at the School for Poetic Computation. After being a five-year high school teacher, Rasheed spent almost a decade designing social studies curricula and coaching teachers. She carries on her coaching and curriculum design work through her consultant business Orange Tangent Study, founded in 2020, which provides unrestricted microgrants to artists and supports transdisciplinary project development. Since 2020, Orange Tangent Study has dispersed almost 7,000 USD. NOME Gallery represents Rasheed in Berlin, Germany.

Let Our Light Shine: Black History Month Youth Celebration
2024-02-29 18:00 - 19:30 | Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, 1310 N. Sixth Street, Champaign, IL, 61820
Come out to celebrate and support CU’s youth! The program is full of performances by local artists and DREAAMers.

Krannert Center Uncorked with Nadirah Shakoor
2024-02-29 17:00 - 19:00 | Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL, 61801
Presented in collaboration with Illinois Soul 101.1 FM in celebration of Black History Month.
The recipient of a Grammy nomination, an MTV Video Award, the 2005 Artist for a Better World award, and the 2006 Spirit of Youth award, Nadirah Shakoor is best known as the former lead female vocalist of acclaimed hip hop group Arrested Development. In the last 28 years, she has become well known and loved as the featured female vocalist of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band. Nadirah’s latest CD, Nod to the Storyteller, is a tribute to Jimmy Buffett and includes her interpretation of seven of his songs, two Nadirah songs, an Eric Clapton cover, and an Art Neville song made popular by Buffett, plus songs written by Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Mac McAnally.

ANCHOR: The Music, the Message, and the Movement of Black American Artists
2024-02-28 19:30 - 21:30 | Smith Memorial Hall, 805 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL, 61801
Join us for ANCHOR – a free concert dedicated to the music, message, and movement of Black American Artists. This special evening is set to take place on Wednesday, February 28th, at the Smith Recital Hall, starting at 7:30 PM.
Department of Dance
Dr. C. Kemal Nance
Lily Freebery
Jade Lajeune
Department of Theatre
Lisa Gaye Dixon
Jaylon Muchison
Noah Smith
School of Art & Design
Patrick Earl Hammie
Stacey Robinson
School of Music
Dr. Linda Moorhouse
Seungah Kwon
Dr. Barrington Coleman
Dr. Alonza Lawrence
University Chorus
Varsity Men’s Glee Club

Black History Month Show at Boomerangs
2024-02-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Boomerangs Bar & Grill, 1309 E. Washington St., Urbana, IL, 61802
Join this celebration of Black history, which is American history, at Boomerangs Bar & Grill on February 25 from 7–9 PM. The show will include comedy, poetry, live music, and more. For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/1083892879499686.

Walking With My Ancestors: Cape Coast Castle by Ama Oforiwaa Aduonum
2024-02-25 14:00 - 15:30 | Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, Urbana, IL
Walking with My Ancestors: Cape Coast Castle (2019), the award-winning and nationally recognized performance piece, is about a mother’s search for guidance from the spirits of her ancestors in the dungeons for enslaved Africans. The story takes the audience through a ritual journey that includes dance, music, and drama and leads to revelation, reconciliation, and rebirth. Walking with My Ancestors offers fresh perspectives on the experiences of the “forgotten” enslaved Africans and demonstrates how today’s racial and cultural problems connect with truths of our shared and painful pasts. The work is timely. It provides platforms for deepened conversations about identities, diversity and inclusion, immigration and migration, border crossings, citizenship, parenting, homeland, diaspora, and the “ghosts of slavery.” Ultimately, Walking with My Ancestors is a human story about triumph over adversity, hope, resilience, emotional justice, and survival.
About The Artist
Ama Oforiwaa Aduonum, award-winning and nationally recognized playwright and performer, is a professor of music at Illinois State University (ISU), where she teaches classes in ethnomusicology and Black music and directs the African Drumming and Dance Ensemble.
She is also a Queen Mother in Ghana, responsible for engaging the youth, especially young women, towards their progress and success. She graduated from Fisk University with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and from Florida State University with Master and Doctoral degrees in ethnomusicology.
This program is partially sponsored by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Battle of the Books | Black History Month
2024-02-24 11:00 - 12:00 | Champaign Public Library – Douglass Branch, 504 E. Grove St., Champaign, IL, 61820
Students in grades 3 to 5 can celebrate Black History Month by challenging their book knowledge in our 19th annual Battle of the Books.
Find copies of the required books at the Douglass Branch and Main Library. Every participant will receive a prize book. Teams can have up to 12 students. Contact your school to see if they are organizing a team. Register your team by February 1st; call 217/403-2090. Teams will be assigned to the morning (11 am) or afternoon (1:30 pm) battle when registering. Leading teams from the playoffs will advance to the 3 pm finals. Click to see the list of Battle books: In the library catalog or as a printer-friendly pdf.
For more information, visit: https://champaign.org/event/battle-of-the-books-morning-playoffs-9796098
