Interrogating Discourses Around Resilience for Black Women: Holding Space for Strong Stories and Radical Healing
2023-09-15 12:30 - 15:00 UTC | UIUC School of Social Work, 1010 W. Nevada, Urbana, IL
Event Type: Professional Development
Sponsor: School of Social Work
Location: 1010 W. Nevada St., Room 2015, Urbana
Date: Sep 15, 2023 12:30 – 3:00 pm
Cost: $25 for CEU’s, $10 for no CEU’s
Registration: Register Now
September 15, 2023
12:30-3:00pm
In-Person at the School of Social Work, room 2015
2.5 CEUs for LCSW/LSW and LCPC/LPC
*This event fulfills the cultural competence requirement for licensure*

This event will interrogate discourses around the psychosocial construct of resilience and explore its potentially negative impact on Black women’s mental health and wellbeing through research, the art of storytelling, and other interactive activities.

Learning Objectives:
1. Gain a deeper understanding of the psychosocial construct of resilience and the history and harms of strength among Black women in the U.S (United States).
2. Learn about the prevalence of stress and mental illness among Black women in the U.S.
3. Gain a deeper understanding of unique barriers to treatment and mental health help seeking among Black women with complex trauma and implementation of critical healing frameworks to reach Black women with mental illnesses.

Presenter: Dora Watkins, PhD Candidate at the School of Social Work

Francesca T. Royster Discussion & Book Signing
2023-09-23 15:00 - 16:30 | Urbana Free Library, 201 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL, 61801
Join author Francesca T. Royster at the Urbana Free Library for a discussion and book signing on her memoir “Choosing Family: a Memoir of Queer Motherhood and Black Resistance” as part of Pygmalion 2023.

There are times in your life when you make choices that change everything: choosing a new job, finding a partner, adopting or having a child. For author Francesca T. Royster, one of those big changes was choosing to adopt a child with her partner later in life. Her nuanced memoir thoughtfully discusses how this decision affected her notions of family, adoption, queerness, race, and how these topics also intersected in her life. Her memoir will make you think deeply about your own major life events.
Francesca T. Royster is a Professor of English at DePaul University in Chicago, and received her PhD from University of California, Berkeley in English literature. She’s written scholarly work on Shakespeare, Black lesbian country-music fans, Prince, and Fela Kuti on Broadway, among other topics. She is the author of the books Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions (2022), Choosing Family: A Memoir of Queer Motherhood and Black Resistance (2023), Sounding Like a No-No: Queer Sounds and Eccentric Acts in the Post-Soul Era (2013), and Becoming Cleopatra: The Shifting Image of an Icon (2003), as well as numerous scholarly and creative essays.
Reviews on Choosing Family:
“Affecting . . . Insightful and reflective, this is a moving tribute to the power of chosen family.” [Publisher’s Weekly]
“Memorable and fluid, professor Francesca T. Royster’s memoir Choosing Family blends her family’s history with her story of adopting an infant girl, juxtaposing personal life with political life and allowing each to illuminate the other. . . . In the lyrical memoir, the personal and political unite in a queer, interracial couple’s celebration of choosing to adopt an infant.” [Foreword Reviews]
“The book builds on an intergenerational lineage of powerful women whose strength Royster brings to her own mothering. . . . A potent love letter to community in all its forms.” [Kirkus Reviews]
Books will be available to purchase at the reading.
This event is generously funded by The Urbana Free Library Foundation.

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.

Musical Crossroads: Interpreting the Material Culture of African American Music
2023-09-23 17:00 - 19:00 | Music Building Auditorium, 1114 W. Nevada St., Urbana, IL
The ways we engage with music are constantly evolving. In recent decades, countless museums, historic sites, libraries, and archives have built music collections for research, exhibitions, and programming purposes. Within this movement to document, preserve, and interpret music’s existence, is a growing interest in music’s material culture, the tangible objects that are the evidence of its existence. This musical material culture encompassing everything from iconic musical instruments and costumes to the seemingly mundane office equipment or promotional toy, facilitates research in African American music which is at the center of an eco-system that lives and thrives through a network of connections and encounters among people, communities, places, organizations, and institutions.
McClung Fleming’s 1974 model for artifact study has been a useful framework for analyzing material culture within the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Music and Performing Arts Collection. With four basic operations of identification, evaluation, cultural analysis, and interpretation, Fleming’s model extends basic museum identification procedures, which carefully document the appearance and historical significance, into the realm of humanistic discussion. Applying this model to musical artifacts deepens our understanding of music’s meaning in a social, historical, and cultural context.
Dwandalyn R. Reece’s latest book, Musical Crossroads: Stories Behind the Objects of African American Music (March 2023), draws upon a diverse array of objects in the Museum’s music collection to expand our understanding of the culture and the historical impact of African American music-making in the United States and around the world. This material culture of African American music opens the door to a broad network of encounters, relationships, community structures, and activities that bring music to life. As source material, objects pose and invite questions that have the potential to unearth hidden figures and additional narratives, leading to new interpretive possibilities. They can challenge or affirm established paradigms, uncover the voices and experiences of those who have been unheard or overlooked, and have the potential to expand historical narratives in new directions.

Dr. Dwandalyn R. Reece is Associate Director for the Humanities at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. She brings more than thirty-five years of knowledge and experience in public humanities work, including twelve years as NMAAHC’s Curator of Music and Performing Arts. Under her leadership, the Museum built a collection of over 4,000 objects and curated the museum’s inaugural permanent exhibition, Musical Crossroads, for which she received the Secretary’s Research Prize in 2017. Other projects have include author and editor of the publication, Musical Crossroads: Stories about the Objects of African American Music (March 2023), contributing producer of the Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap (2021), co-curating the Smithsonian Year of Music in 2019 and the museum’s 2016 grand opening music festival, Freedom Sounds: A Community Celebration, and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival Program, Rhythm and Blues: Tell it Like it Is in 2011. She is also chair of the Smithsonian Music Executive Committee, a pan-institutional group that promotes access to the SI vast musical holdings. Dwan has appeared on numerous media outlets including NPR, the New York Times, the Washington Post, CBS This Morning, USA Today, Vice News and Al Jazeera and has appeared on such podcasts as WTF with Marc Maron, Sound Expertise, and the Hikma Collective. Her 2019 Ted X Mid-Atlantic talk on blackface minstrelsy was posted on Ted.com and has appeared in several documentaries including Rosenwald (2012) and the Unladylike episode on Gladys Bentley (2018). She just completed her second season on the award-winning SiriusXM podcast series, All Music is Black Music. Dwan serves as Board Member-at-Large for the Society for Ethnomusicology and the Society for American Music.

Jalimusa: An Epic Tale of Black Women’s Mothering
2023-10-01 14:00 - 15:00 | Urbana Free Library, 201 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL, 61801
Activist-artist-educator Dr. Amira Davis joins The Urbana Free Library for this special event on Black Motherhood. This program will be a combination performance and presentation based on Davis’ book, Jalimusa: An Epic Tale of Black Women’s Mothering. She will perform songs related to Black women’s mothering and read excerpts from her book, including stories of historical Black women that address issues such as representation, educational and maternal activism, aging, reproductive rights, and spirituality. Question and answer to follow.
Dr. Davis is the author of Jalimusa: An Epic Tale of Black Women’s Mothering. She is a mother, grandmother, and activist-artist-educator using African drums, percussions, and stories to entertain, educate, and motivate. She received her master’s in education in curriculum and instruction and a doctorate in educational policy studies with a concentration in African American studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
This program is presented in partnership with the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau.

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.

SPEAK Cafe with Shaya Robinson
2023-10-05 18:00 - 19:30 | Krannert Art Museum, 500 E. Peabody Drive, Champaign, Illinois, 61820
Speak Café stands for Song, Poetry, Expression, Art, and Knowledge. It is an open-mic public performance space at Krannert Art Museum curated by local artist, Shaya Robinson, featuring guest performers and welcoming all to the mic.

16th Annual Lincoln Lecture Series — Voices of Our Past: Frederick Douglass
2023-10-15 14:00 - 15:00 | Museum of the Grand Prairie, 950 N. Lombard St., Mahomet, IL, 61853
Museum of the Grand Prairie, Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve, 2 p.m.
Help us kickoff the 16th Annual Lincoln Lecture Series with this special event! The theme of this year’s series is “Voices of Our Past” and will feature first-person interpretations of African-American voices present during the life and times of Abraham Lincoln. Did you know Frederick Douglass spoke in Champaign once? Learn about this important figure in US history as Bob Davis, first-person interpreter, brings Douglass to life with an interactive and engaging presentation portraying the notable abolitionist and orator. FREE. For more info: (217) 586-2612 or pcain@ccfpd.org.
Website Event Listing – Frederick Douglass
Facebook Event Listing – Frederick Douglass

Afro-Futurism Symposium
2023-10-20 17:00 - 19:00 | Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center, 1212 W. Nevada St., Urbana, IL, 61801
AFRO-FUTURISM SYMPOSIUM

Event Type
Seminar/Symposium
Sponsor
African Students’ Organization and co-sponsored by Center for African Studies, Women and Gender in Global Perspectives Program, and Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center
Location
Bruce Nesbitt African American Cultural Center (BNAACC)
Date
Oct 20, 2023 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Contact
Morgan Toyosi

E-Mail
toyosim2@illinois.edu

Views
26
Originating Calendar
Women and Gender in Global Perspectives Program (WGGP)
African Students’ Organization presents AFRO-FUTURISM SYMPOSIUM
Collaborative Role of Africans & African-Americans in Afro-Futurism
Date: Friday, October 20th, 2023
Location: Bruce Nesbitt African American Cultural Center (BNAACC)
Time: 5 pm – 7 pm
Co-sponsored by: Center for African Studies, Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center, Women and Gender in Global Perspectives Program

Fireside Chat with Sheila Johnson
2023-10-25 15:00 - 16:00 | Alice Campbell Alumni Center, 601 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana, IL, 61801
School of Music alumna, philanthropist, and entrepreneur Sheila Johnson (BME ’70) published her memoir Walk Through Fire on September 19. The College of Fine and Applied Arts invites you to join us in welcoming Ms. Johnson back to campus on October 25 for an exclusive fireside chat to discuss her book, how the university and Illinois School of Music played a role in her path to success, her philanthropic efforts, and her continued passion for music and music education. Following the discussion from 4–5pm, there will be an opportunity for you to meet the author and have your book signed by Ms. Johnson.
Walk Through Fire will be available for purchase at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center or bring your own copy for the signing. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Sheila Johnson was recognized by PARADE Magazine as the most influential woman in business and as Washington Business Journal’s 2022 CEO of the Year. As the co-founder of BET, CEO of Salamander Collection, the vice chair and partner of Monumental Sports & Entertainment that includes the Washington Wizards, Capitals, and Mystics, and an accomplished violinist, Sheila Johnson is truly an inspiration to Illini everywhere.
We hope you will join us on October 25 to welcome Ms. Johnson back to the University of Illinois campus.

Food for the Soul/Inside Scoop with Alexis Pauline Gumbs
2023-11-01 12:00 - 13:00 | Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center, 1212 W. Nevada St., Urbana, IL, 61801
Alexis Pauline Gumbs is a Queer Black Troublemaker and Black Feminist Love Evangelist and an aspirational cousin to all sentient beings. Her work in this lifetime is to facilitate infinite, unstoppable ancestral love in practice. Her poetic work in response to the needs of her cherished communities have held space for multitudes in mourning and movement. Alexis’s co-edited volume of Revolutionary Mothering: Love on the Front Lines (PM Press, 2016) has shifted the conversation on mothering, parenting and queer transformation. Alexis has transformed the scope of intellectual, creative and oracular writing with her triptych of experimental works published by Duke University Press (Spill: Scenes of Black Feminist Fugitivity in 2016, M Archive: After the End of the World in 2018 and Dub: Finding Ceremony forthcoming in 2020.) Unlike most academic texts, Alexis’s work has inspired artists across form to create dance works, installation work, paintings, processionals, divination practices, operas, quilts and more.
Alexis is the founder of Brilliance Remastered, an online network and series of retreats and online intensives serving community accountable intellectuals and artists in the legacies of Audre Lorde’s profound statement in “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House” that the preceding statement is “only threatening to those…who still think of the master’s house as their only source of support.” Through retreats on ancestor accountable intellectual practice, and online courses on topics from anger as a resource to transnational intellectual solidarity Alexis and her Brilliance Remastered collaborators have nurtured a community of thinkers and artists grounded in the resources that normative institutions ignore.
All of Alexis’s work is grounded in a community building ethic and would not be possible without her communities of accountability in Durham, NC the broader US Southeast and the global south. As a co-founder member of UBUNTU A Women of Color Survivor-Led Coalition to End Gendered Violence, Warrior Healers Organizing Trust and Earthseed Land Collective in Durham, NC, a member of the first visioning council of Kindred Southern Healing Justice Network and a participant in Southerners on New Ground, Allied Media Projects, Black Women’s Blueprint and the International Black Youth Summit for more than a decade she brings a passion for the issues that impact oppressed communities and an intimate knowledge of the resilience of movements led by Black, indigenous, working class women and queer people of color. Her writing in key movement periodicals such as Make/Shift, Left Turn, The Abolitionist, Ms. Magazine, and the collections Abolition Now, The Revolution Starts at Home, Dear Sister and the Transformative Justice Reader have offered clarity and inspiration to generations of activists.
Alexis’s work with her primary collaborator Sangodare has shown the world a Queer Black Feminist Love Ethic in practice. Over the past 11 years they have nurtured the Mobile Homecoming Project, an experiential archive amplifying generations of Black LGBTQ Brilliance which has consisted of listening tour of the United States (in a 1988 Winnebago!) 7 intergenerational retreats and pilgrimages in the Southeast US, a media and audio archive of many Black Feminist LGBTQ elders and is now in the land stewardship phase of building a living library and archive that serves as an all ages independent and assisted living community of intergenerational learning and love. Sangodare and Alexis are also the co-founders of Black Feminist Film School, an initiative to screen, study and produce films with a Black feminist ethic. Sangodare and Alexis have also collaborated on the exhibition Breathing Back at the Carrack Gallery in Durham, NC and more than 50 visits to campuses, organizations and conferences in the United States.

Piloting Archival Processing: Insights from the Johnson Publishing Company (JPC) Archive (Webinar)
2023-11-08 18:30 - 19:30 | Zoom
Archivist Steven Booth joins the RBML virtually to discuss the Johnson Publishing Company (JPC) archive: acquired in 2019 by a consortium of philanthropic and cultural heritage organizations, the Johnson Publishing Company (JPC) Archive is co-owned by the Getty Research Institute (GRI) and Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). Dating from 1942, when John H. and Eunice W. Johnson founded JPC, to the 21st century, the Archive contains over 4.5 million photographs of published and unpublished works documenting the Black experience, many of which were taken by staff photographers and featured in JPC’s 12 publications, most notably Jet and Ebony. In addition to the historically significant events and behind-the-scenes moments depicted, the Archive presents an unmatched and unique record of many facets of the life, work, and contributions of Black individuals, communities, groups, organizations, and businesses. In preparation for full-scale archival processing, archivists from the GRI and JPC project staff conducted a two-part pilot to test and evaluate the efficiency of the processing guidelines, workflows, and tools developed for rehousing and cataloging the photographs. This presentation will provide insight into the planning, preparation, and implementation of the JPC Archive processing pilot and offer lessons learned for cultural heritage professionals and the community to consider when working with large-scale archival collections.
Steven D. Booth (he/him) is an archivist, independent researcher, and co-founder of The Blacktivists. He is currently the archivist of the Johnson Publishing Company (JPC) Archive at the Getty Research Institute. He has been an active member of SAA since 2008 and was named an SAA Fellow in 2022.
Register for this webinar here: https://illinois.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_u5eswrMLRkuoWEi-Skb-ZQ#/registration

16th Annual Lincoln Lecture Series — Voices of Our Past: Ann Bradford Stokes
2023-11-19 14:00 - 15:00 | Museum of the Grand Prairie, 950 N. Lombard St., Mahomet, IL, 61853
Museum of the Grand Prairie, Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve, 2 p.m.
Join us as history comes to life with another event in the 16th Annual Lincoln Lecture Series! The theme of this year’s series is “Voices of Our Past” and will feature first-person interpretations of African-American voices present during the life and times of Abraham Lincoln. Ann Bradford Stokes worked aboard the Navy’s first Hospital Ship “Red Rover” of Mound City, Illinois. She worked with sick and wounded soldiers aboard the United States Naval Hospital Ship throughout the Western Theater of the Civil War on both the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and their tributaries. She volunteered with the Sisters of the Holy Cross and Naval ship officers working as “first class boy,” cook, laundress, mender- anything to get food to eat. Eventually, Ann assumed the role of a nurse, leading to the beginning of a profession that would last generations. She was the first woman to earn a pension for her work with the U.S.N. Red Rover. After 18 months as an African American Civil War nurse, she left service in November 1864. Several years later, Ann learned to read and write. She settled, remarried, and remained in Southern Illinois for the rest of her life. In a fascinating reenactment, Marlene Rivero will breathe life back into Ann Bradford Stokes story, captivating audiences and informing new learners. FREE. For more info: (217) 586-2612 or pcain@ccfpd.org.
Website Event Listing – Ann Bradford Stokes
Facebook Event Listing – Ann Bradford Stokes

16th Annual Lincoln Lecture Series — Voices of Our Past: Sojourner Truth
2023-12-10 14:00 - 15:00 | Museum of the Grand Prairie, 950 N. Lombard St., Mahomet, IL, 61853
Come join us and see history come to life with our final event in the 16th Annual Lincoln Lecture Series! The theme of this year’s series is “Voices of Our Past” and will feature first-person interpretations of African-American voices present during the life and times of Abraham Lincoln. Isabella Baumfree, better known as Sojourner Truth, was a prominent abolitionist and activist for African-American and women’s rights. Born into slavery, Truth would endure a rough upbringing before escaping slavery with her infant daughter for a life of freedom in 1826. Becoming a traveling preacher, she would work with other abolitionists such as Frederick Douglas and William Lloyd Garrison. Truth would go on to give many influential speeches against slavery and would also speak out for women’s rights. During the Civil War, she urged young black men to join the Union and also supplied necessities for black troops. Her efforts during the war earned her an invitation from Abraham Lincoln to the White House. Although she was unable to read or write, Truth successfully sued a white man, collaborated with the Freedmen’s Bureau, and inspired millions during her lifetime. Learn about this important figure in US history as Patricia Davis, first-person interpreter, brings Sojourner Truth to life with an engaging and interactive presentation portraying the notable African-American abolitionist and activist.
FREE. For more info: (217) 586-2612 or jbien@ccfpd.org.

Book Club: Dark Princess by W. E. B. Du Bois (October 9–December 11)
2023-12-11 12:00 | Champaign Public Library – Douglass Branch, 504 E. Grove St., Champaign, IL, 61820
Join the Humanities Research Institute as book club members read Dark Princess, W. E. B. Du Bois’ 1928 novel about an African American medical student’s and an Indian Princess’ struggle for freedom. Free books available! To participate, register her by November 5: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/408766198
Meeting time: Mondays at 6:00–7:00 P.M., October 9–December 11
Location: Douglass Branch Library – Douglass Meeting Room, 504 East Grove St., Champaign
Questions: Contact Divya at divyan@illinois.edu
Led by Divya Nair and sponsored by the Humanities Research Institute and Mellon Foundation.

BIPOC Artist Meet-Up
2023-12-13 18:00 - 21:00 | Gallery Art Bar, 119 W. Main St., Urbana, IL
Urbana Arts & Culture and The College of Fine and Applied Arts invite all Champaign-Urbana BIPOC artists, creatives, makers, storytellers, and cultural bearers to connect and unwind with an evening of togetherness at Gallery Art Bar in Downtown Urbana.
Join hosts Carolyn and Vivian from The College of Fine and Applied Arts and the Urbana Arts & Culture Program for the kick-off event of the newly formed CU BIPOC Artist Collective. Local creatives who identify as Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color are invited to connect with others, enjoy refreshments and discuss the future of the BIPOC artist community in Champaign-Urbana. The event will take place at Gallery Art Bar located on Main Street in downtown Urbana. Goodie bags will be available for the first 40 guests who arrive!
December’s event will be the first scheduled of quarterly gatherings for the collective.
This event is co-sponsored by the City of Urbana’s Arts & Culture Program and the University of Illinois College of Fine and Applied Arts.

THE BLACK CHURCH: THIS IS OUR STORY, THIS IS OUR SONG
2023-12-15 19:00 - 20:00 | Virginia Theatre, 203 W. Park Ave., Champaign, IL, 61820
In this special presentation by Illinois Public Media, watch the second hour of the acclaimed four-hour documentary series THE BLACK CHURCH, followed by a live performance of gospel music and a post-film discussion panel with local Black preachers plus an audience Q & A.

For many, it’s their house of worship. For some, it is an engine for social justice. For others, it’s a place of transcendent cultural gifts exported to the world, from the soulful voices of preachers and congregants to the sublime sounds of gospel music. For the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., going to church in America also was “the most segregated hour” of the week.
Executive Producer, Host, and Writer Henry Louis Gates, Jr. traces how this came to be in the 400 year-old story of the Black church in America, all the way down to its bedrock role as the site of African American survival and endurance, grace and resilience, thriving and testifying, freedom and independence, solidarity and speaking truth to power.
It reveals how Black people have worshipped, and through their spiritual journeys, improvised ways to bring their faith traditions from Africa to the New World, while translating them into a form of Christianity that was not only truly their own but a redemptive force for a nation whose original sin was found in their ancestors’ enslavement across the Middle Passage.
THE ARTHOUSE EXPERIENCE FILM SERIES

Presented by Illinois Public Media | Hosted by Kimberlie Kranich

Rated PG-13
60 Min

Martin Luther King, Jr. Countywide Celebration
2024-01-14 17:00 - 21:00 | Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL, 61801
Martin Luther King, Jr. Countywide Celebration

January 14, 2024 – 5:00 pm
Martin Luther King Jr.
at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana 61801
Doors open at 4:00pm
Community Choir begins TBD
Featured Keynote Speaker – Rev. BJ Tatum
​
During the ceremony, three community members will be honored with prestigious awards in recognition of their work to uphold the principles and ideals of Dr. King, including:

Doris Hoskins Prestigious Community Service Award

James R. Burgess, Jr. – Susan Freiburg Humanitarian Award

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Outstanding Achievement Award

Unity Breakfast
January 15, 2024
Vineyard Church of Central Illinois
1500 N. Lincoln Ave., Urbana, IL 61801
Event begins at 8:30 AM

Passing: Film at the Virginia Theatre
2024-01-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Virginia Theatre, 203 W. Park Ave., Champaign, IL, 61820
THE ARTHOUSE EXPERIENCE FILM SERIES

Rated PG-13
98 Min
Presented by Illinois Public Media, home of WILL-TV, WILL-AM, and WILL-FM.
In 1920s New York City, a black woman finds her world up-ended when her life becomes intertwined with a former childhood friend who’s passing as white.
Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut is a powerful drama that brings Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel of the same name to the screen.

For tickets, visit the Virginia Theatre’s website here: https://thevirginia.showare.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=900

THE ARTHOUSE EXPERIENCE Film Series
Described as limited-release, high-quality titles that have captured the imagination of movie lovers, the Virginia Theatre’s Arthouse Experience Film Series is programmed by special guest curator Sanford Hess.
The movies that Mr. Hess selects—a mix of award-winners, Ebertfest favorites, and recent classics—are presented one Friday each month on the Virginia’s 52-foot wide movie screen, with state-of-the-art surround sound.
Each film will be followed by a post-show discussion and in some cases an on-stage talk by directors, producers, and other special guests.

KAM Spring 2024 Opening Night: Jen Everett
2024-02-01 17:00 - 19:00 | Krannert Art Museum, 500 E. Peabody Drive, Champaign, Illinois, 61820
Opening Events
5:30 pm | Conversation with the artist Jen Everett and curators Blair Ebony Smith and Amy L. Powell in the Link Gallery
6 pm | Collage workshop with Siobhan McKissic, Visiting Design & Materials Research Librarian, Ricker Library of Architecture and Art in the KAM cafe
6:15 pm | DJ set with DJ lovenloops begins in the Link Gallery
About Jen Everett: Could you dim the lights?
Artist and educator Jen Everett collects everyday photographs of Black life in the United States sourced from thrift stores and generations of images from her Midwestern and Southern family. She uses digital and analog mediums to reconfigure and recombine the images that attract her, by doubling or tripling a photograph, by isolating and amplifying a detail, or by collaging and piling up to create an effect of abundance.
Throughout her process, Jen Everett remixes images of herself in conversation with the materials she collects to talk about Black life, kinship, and collective gathering. Could you dim the lights? is her first solo museum presentation.

The Black Joy Project
2024-02-02 - 2024-12-01 | Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, Urbana, IL
Running from February 2 through December 1, 2024, the Black Joy Project aims to make an unprecedented celebration of Black JOY visible in our communities and museum spaces. The project celebrates the beauty, joy, and resilience of Black women and girls and their lived experiences during COVID-19 and the social unrest after the brutal deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others. During 2024, public events will carry the project’s themes into performances, workshops, talks, and other programs with an exciting variety of artists and experts. The project will grow and build joy throughout the year.
Throughout the run of the project, the community can expect events that underscore resilience and healing through food, performance, crafting, music, and much more. Conversations around self-care and cooking lead into wellness activities and programs encouraging participants to add to the project’s museum display. Programs include a Black business expo (February) to connect local Black business owners with the community and to discuss ideas around growing Black wealth; a multi-day workshop (June) for community members to create their own Book of Life, inspired by PBS’s hit TV show Finding Your Roots; and a back to school evening (August) for students to learn about and receive materials to incorporate the Samaritan’s Eight Dimensions of Wellness(external link).
About the Curators
Dr. Ruby Mendenhall is a professor in Sociology and African American Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is the Associate Dean for Diversity and Democratization of Health Innovation of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. Her research looks at how gun violence affects Black mothers’ mental and physical health. She is currently directing the Nobel Project, which provides students from marginalized groups unprecedented access to experiences and mentors in science, technology, engineering, art, and math. She recently trained close to 50 high school and young adults to be Community Health Workers and Citizen/Community Scientists. She is also developing Wellness Stores/Spaces in schools and other locations in communities.
Florence Adibu is a Research Scientist at Carle Illinois College of Medicine. She infuses her work with a deep understanding of intercultural learning, Afrofuturism, and community healing. She inspires students to become Global Ambassadors, passionately addressing the intersection of innovation, inequity, and knowledge. Florence is a vocal advocate for Black women and girls, leveraging oral storytelling to speak truth to power in her teaching and writing.
Supported by:

Dr. Allan C. and Marlene S. Campbell Endowment Fund
Richard J. and Barbara S. Faletti Gallery of African Cultures Fund
Donald W. and Dorothy Berkey White Endowment Fund
Norman E. Whitten Spurlock Graduate Assistant Fund
Spurlock Museum Educational Endowment Fund
Spurlock Museum Guild Museum Fund
Girls Like Me Inc.
Carle Illinois College of Medicine
President’s Initiative to Celebrate the Impact of the Arts and Humanities
National Science Foundation
Illinois Arts Council Agency

The Black Joy Project: Public Launch Celebration
2024-02-02 16:00 - 18:00 | Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, Urbana, IL
The Black Joy Project launches February 2 with a celebratory reception of performance, food, and fellowship.
About the Project
The Black Joy Project aims to make an unprecedented celebration of Black JOY visible in our communities and museum spaces. The project celebrates the beauty, joy, and resilience of Black women and girls and their lived experiences during COVID-19 and the social unrest after the brutal deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others. During 2024, public events will carry the project’s themes into performances, workshops, talks, and other programs with an exciting variety of artists and experts. The project will grow and build joy throughout the year.
Throughout the run of the project, the community can expect events that underscore resilience and healing through food, performance, crafting, music, and much more. Conversations around self-care and cooking lead into wellness activities and programs encouraging participants to add to the project’s museum display. Programs include a Black business expo (February) to connect local Black business owners with the community and to discuss ideas around growing Black wealth; a multi-day workshop (June) for community members to create their own Book of Life, inspired by PBS’s hit TV show Finding Your Roots; and a back to school evening (August) for students to learn about and receive materials to incorporate the Samaritan’s Eight Dimensions of Wellness(external link).
Supported by:

Dr. Allan C. and Marlene S. Campbell Endowment Fund
Richard J. and Barbara S. Faletti Gallery of African Cultures Fund
Donald W. and Dorothy Berkey White Endowment Fund
Norman E. Whitten Spurlock Graduate Assistant Fund
Spurlock Museum Educational Endowment Fund
Spurlock Museum Guild Museum Fund
Girls Like Me Inc.
Carle Illinois College of Medicine
President’s Initiative to Celebrate the Impact of the Arts and Humanities
National Science Foundation
Illinois Arts Council Agency

This program is partially sponsored by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Bethel A.M.E. Church: National African American Read-In
2024-02-04 14:00 - 16:00 | Bethel A.M.E. Church, 401 E. Park Street, Champaign, IL, 61820
Join the Bethel A.M.E. Church by reading excerpts from the works of your favorite Black writers!
Sunday, February 4, at 2:00 p.m. at Bethel A.M.E. Church (401 E. Park Street, Champaign, IL 61820).

DIY Kids │ Black History Bingo
2024-02-07 16:00 - 17:00 | Champaign Public Library – Douglass Branch, 504 E. Grove St., Champaign, IL, 61820
Learn about famous people, places, and events in Black History by making your own bingo card and playing together at our weekly do-it-yourself activity for kids.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIY Kids! | February 2024
Wednesdays, 4:00 pm
For more information, visit: https://champaign.org/event/diy-kids-black-history-bingo-9361427

Quilts: Secret Codes to Freedom on the Underground Railroad
2024-02-07 18:00 - 19:00 | Zoom
Join Connie Martin to learn about pre-Civil War quilts, and the secrets they held. This event will be held on Zoom.

Join Connie Martin as she tells the stories passed down to her great-grandmother Lizzie of how her family survived the antebellum period through trials and tribulations, and how they used quilts that contained hidden codes and secret messages to assist abolitionists–white and Black–to guide enslaved people to freedom through the Underground Railroad to Canada.
During this presentation, Connie shares eighteen different quilt patterns in replica quilts and refers to a book her mother, Dr. Clarice Boswell, wrote about their family called Lizzie’s Story: A Slave Family’s Journey to Freedom.
Connie Martin, MA, is a retired teacher and popular veteran fitness instructor. As a Road Scholar, she provides historical education through engaging live presentations to create awareness, growth, and inspiration for Illinois communities.
This event is co-sponsored by the Illinois Humanities Road Scholar Speaker Bureau.

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.
For more information, visit: https://urbanafreelibrary.libnet.info/event/9513068

Krannert Center Uncorked with Dexter O'Neal and the Funk Yard
2024-02-08 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.
Dexter O’Neal is what happens when you add mesmerizing stage performances and a soulful sound. A Louisiana-born, Illinois-raised stick of dynamite! Dexter’s musical stylings have roots in gospel, blues, r&b, and early jazz traditions. He is the frontman of the number one funk band in the Midwest, Dexter O’Neal and The Funk Yard. Dexter is pure excitement and an explosive talent. Come prepared for an amazing experience.

Black History Spotlight | Focus on STEM
2024-02-08 18:30 - 19:30 | Urbana Free Library, 201 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL, 61801
NAACP Champaign County invites you to the Urbana Free Library for soul food dinner, inspiration, motivation, black history information, trivia and prizes.
Students please bring photos & bios. (If you don’t have them, we will work on bios and take photos during the session)
Be ready to make selections for competition areas.
New applications will be available to complete – Special prizes for students who bring an ACTSO recruit!

THE MAGIC OF MOTOWN
2024-02-09 19:30 - 21:30 | Virginia Theatre, 203 W. Park Ave., Champaign, IL, 61820
THE MAGIC OF MOTOWN features 15 power vocalists accompanied by a six-piece band that sends you on a journey through Motown’s best, including: The Temptations, The Jackson Five, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Four Tops, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson and more!
The show’s pitch-perfect harmonies, dynamic choreography, and costuming perfectly capture the sights and sound of Motown.

Presented by Moxie Events.

To purchase tickets, please visit: https://thevirginia.showare.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=909

FEATURING WINE AND BEER SERVICE IN OUR EAST LOBBY
The Champaign Park District is proud to welcome Farren’s Pub & Eatery to MAGIC OF MOTOWN here at the Virginia Theatre.
You’ll find Farren’s set up in the theatre’s eastern lobby before the show and at intermission (where available), serving a selection of fine wines and craft beers.
From cabernet to chardonnay, Sam Adams to Sierra Nevada, the skilled servers from Farren’s always bring the perfect selection to complement your Virginia Theatre experience! Both cash and credit cards accepted.

Music with Banks, Bridgewater, & Lewis Fine Arts Academy
2024-02-10 11:00 - 12:00 | Urbana Free Library, 201 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL, 61801
Join The Urbana Free Library for a celebration of blues, jazz, gospel, Rhythm & Blues, and soul music with young musicians from the Banks, Bridgewater & Lewis Fine Arts Academy!

The mission of the Banks, Bridgewater & Lewis (BBL) Fine Arts Academy is to enhance the musical knowledge base of young musicians by providing meaningful supplementary curriculum utilizing the genres of blues, jazz, gospel, Rhythm & Blues, and soul in order to participate in and contribute successfully to their respective school ensemble. BBL began in 2005 when two Black church programs combined to serve children of the community. Students from local schools and home school programs participate in our Saturday ensemble to further their musical development.

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.

Black Love Day Celebration
2024-02-10 12:00 - 17:00 | Independent Media Center, 202 S. Broadway, Suite 100, Urbana, IL, 61801
This free event will include self-care services, lunch will be provided and an open mic will be facilitated.

For more information, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-love-day-celebration-tickets-772582825027

Storytime & a Craft Celebrating Black History Month
2024-02-12 10:00 - 11:00 | Tolono Public Library District, 111 E. Main St., Tolono
Come to the Library for a storytime and craft celebrating Black culture, accomplishments, and joy.

Recommended Ages: 0-5

For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/278802411443465/

Krannert Center Uncorked with Soft Spoken
2024-02-15 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.
Bloomington based Soft Spoken covers a lot of musical territory: jazz, funk, R&B, soul, and blues, with the smooth jazz filter set on high. With Gary Muhammad, lead guitar/vocals; Mike Gardner, keys/bass/vocals; Myra Johnson, percussion; AJ Chinnery, drums; Kenny Johnson, bass guitar; and featuring lead vocalist Jamika Russell.
