San Diego Community College District

From a celebration of jazz at San Diego City College to a screening of the Academy Award-winning film "Selma" at San Diego Miramar College, the San Diego Community College District will be celebrating Black History Month with an array of activities and exhibits throughout February. 

All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

Among the highlights:

Thursday, February 1

12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Rosa Parks Birthday Recognition & Libation
All are invited to walk from G-103 at the Humanities and Multicultural Studies Building to the bus stop at Mesa College Drive and Mesa College Circle in recognition of Rosa Parks and the many months of walking during the Montgomery bus boycott.
San Diego Mesa College, 7250 Mesa College Drive, 92111.

Monday, February 5

11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
STEAM Discussion: Mastering Math in My Mirror
A discussion with Dartanyon Shivers, who earned an associate degree at Mesa College and a bachelor of science degree in applied mathematics at UCSD and who is now an instructor at Mathnasium math tutoring center in San Diego.
San Diego Mesa College, Mesa Commons, 211 A/B, 7250 Mesa College Drive, 92111.

Wednesday, February 7

12:30 to 2 p.m.
Healing Drums with Xtreme Rahim
Everyone is invited to participate in this drum circle focused on healing rhythms.
San Diego Mesa College, Mesa Commons, 211 A/B, 7250 Mesa College Drive, 92111.

 

Thursday, February 8

10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Umoja: Woman to Woman Conference
The Woman to Woman conference aspires to build leaders, create unity and celebrate innovation. The theme of this event is Protect Your Crown, meaning protecting what is important to you, finding the courage to stand firm and walk boldly into everything.
San Diego Mesa College, Mesa Commons, 211 A/B, 7250 Mesa College Drive, 92111.

12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Unsung Heroes of Civil Rights
Educational Cultural Complex, 4343 Ocean View Blvd., San Diego. Rooms 185 and 186.

4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Unsung Heroes of Civil Rights
Mid-City Campus, 3792 Fairmount Ave., San Diego. Rooms 185 and 186.

Friday, February 9

Noon to 2 p.m.
COLORISM & Cultural Humility in the Trump Era
San Diego State University Associate Professor Nola Butler-Byrd will lead a discussion on colorism and cultural humility during today’s challenging political climate. Dr. Butler-Boyd is the chair at the SDSU Department of Counseling & School of Psychology. She earned her Ph.D. in multicultural education through a joint doctoral program at SDSU and Claremont Graduate University.
San Diego Mesa College, Social and Behavioral Science Building – Room 110, 7250 Mesa College Drive, 92111.

6 to 8 p.m.
WOMAN’S WORTH: Reclaiming Our Divinity & Our Destiny
A multigenerational woman’s empowerment experience with Mesa College Black Studies Professor Starla Lewis, ISHE, and Yah Yah. A $10 donation is encouraged.
Celebration Hall, Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, 404 Euclid Ave., 92114.

Saturday, February 10

7 to 10 p.m.
Let the Poets Speak
Join Mesa College Professor Judy Sundayo and Alyce Smith Cooper (Poet Laureate of the Veterans Museum) in articulating what healing looks like for the black community. An open mic event begins at 8 p.m., but you must sign up on the list no later than 7:15. Tickets are $17 for professionals, $15 for others, and $12 for students, with proceeds supporting the Association of Black Psychologists San Diego Chapter and its work in the black community.
Balboa Park Veterans Museum, 2115 Park Blvd., 92101.

Tuesday, February 13

12:30 to 3 p.m.
“Selma”- Film Screening
Nominated for Best Picture at the 2015 Academy Awards, Selma depicts how the visionary civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his brothers and sisters in the movement prompted change that altered history. Sponsored by the Diversity/International Education Committee.
San Diego Miramar College, 2nd Floor Student Lounge-Student Services Building, 10440 Black Mountain Road, 92126.

Wednesday, February 14

12:45 to 2 p.m.
STEAM Discussion: Engineering
John Grady Gordon, former president of the San Diego Black Engineering Association, will discuss pathways into engineering careers.
San Diego Mesa College, Mesa Commons, 211 A/B, 7250 Mesa College Drive, 92111.

12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Unsung Heroes of Black History
Presentation and workshop at the Educational Cultural Complex, 4343 Ocean View Blvd., San Diego.

Thursday, February 15

12:45 to 6:30 p.m.
By(e) Default (opening reception and discussion)
Through the works of five contemporary artists and three poets, this exhibit challenges racial codings and engages in both the revision and celebration of black history. Featuring the works of Elizabeth Axtman, Suzanne Broughel, Cortney Charleston, Lissa Corona, JC Lenochan, Jason Patterson, Claudia Rankine, and Nicole Sealey. A reception will be held from 3 to 6:30 p.m. at the San Diego Mesa College Art Gallery, D-101. An Artist Panel will be held from 12:45 to 2 p.m. in Humanities and Multicultural Studies Building, G-102. The exhibit opens Feb. 5 and will continue through Feb. 28.

6 to 9 p.m.
“I Am Not Your Negro”
Join us for this screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary based on James Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript that draws upon the lives and assassinations of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to explore and bring a fresh and radical perspective to the current racial narrative in America.
San Diego Mesa College, Mesa Commons, 211 A/B, 7250 Mesa College Drive, 92111.

 

Tuesday, February 20

12:45 to 2 p.m.
Jazz and the Harlem Renaissance
KSDS Jazz88 General Manager Ken Poston celebrates music and culture from the Harlem Renaissance era. Presented by the World Cultures program.
San Diego City College Saville Theatre, 15th and C streets, 92101.

7:30 p.m.
The Joint is Jumpin’
A special KSDS Jazz88 concert celebrating jazz during the Harlem Renaissance. This is a free event.
San Diego City College Saville Theatre, 15th and C streets, 92101.

6 to 9 p.m.
Open Mic: Spoken Soul – Roots Scholars
Dynamic poems and spoken word from students, faculty, staff and community.
San Diego Mesa College, Mesa Commons, 211 A/B, 7250 Mesa College Drive, 92111.

 

Wednesday, February 21

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Keepin’ it 100
City College’s Hermanos Unidos/Brothers United will hold an open discussion to share thoughts, ideas, and concerns on issues such as Black Lives Matter and more.
San Diego City College, MS-162, 1313 Park Blvd., 92101.

12:45 to 2 p.m.
"Hidden Colors 3: The Rules of Racism"
The Rules of Racism is the third installment of the critically acclaimed documentary series Hidden Colors 1 and 2. This installment explores how institutional racism affects rules, laws, and public policies that are utilized to maintain this system. The film features commentary from a diverse group of scholars, authors, and entertainment icons.
San Diego Mesa College, Mesa Commons, 211 A/B, 7250 Mesa College Drive, 92111.

1 to 2:30 p.m.
"I am not your Negro" movie screening
North-City Campus, 8355 Aero Drive, San Diego. Multipurpose Room.

Thursday, February 22

1 to 5 p.m.
Middle Passage Experience
Students and faculty will take part in an engaged discussion and breakout sessions on slavery and black history, with a focus on the Middle Passage crossing from Africa to the Americas aboard ships with unspeakable conditions.
San Diego City College, MS-140, Corporate Education Building, 1551 C St., 92101.

12:30 to 2 p.m.
"I am not your Negro" movie screening
Educational Cultural Complex, 4343 Ocean View Blvd., San Diego. Rooms 185 and 186.

February 23-25

San Diego Kuumba Fest 2018
Mesa College Professor Thekima Mayasa, the Mesa College Black Student Union, and Mesa’s Black Studies Department will take part in workshops, exhibits and performances. Visit www.sdrep.org/kuumba for details on ticket prices.
Lyceum Theater, Horton Plaza, Downtown San Diego.

Friday, February 23

9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Umoja Black History Month Celebration
This event, which begins with a continental breakfast, will include a keynote speaker on black history and breakout sessions about the African-American experience. High school students from around the county will be attending.
San Diego City College, MS-162, 1313 Park Blvd., 92101.

Monday, February 26

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Blood Drive
San Diego City College’s Student Health Clinic is holding a blood drive in honor of Black History Month. This event takes place in the AH/BT Upper Quad.
San Diego City College, 1313 Park Blvd., 92101.

7 to 9 p.m.
Honoring Professor Tchaiko Kwayana – Root Scholars
Dr. Runoko Rashidi, renowned author and African scholar, will be the featured speaker at an event honoring the memory of the late Tchaiko Kwayana.
San Diego Mesa College, Mesa Commons, 211 A/B, 7250 Mesa College Drive, 92111.

 

Tuesday, February 27

Noon to 2 p.m.
MLK Float Unveiling and I Have a Dream Wall Reception
The Office of Student Affairs will unveil a statue of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. previously used in City College’s entry for the MLK Parade, and present an ‘I Have a Dream Wall.’ King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech will be played and student leaders will engage participants in a discussion of King’s contributions and launch a call to action to continue King’s legacy to realize and build on his advocacy efforts for all people.
San Diego City College, Office of Student Affairs Lobby, Room M-200, 1313 Park Blvd., 92101.

7 to 8 p.m. 
"Savage Acts: Wars, Fairs & Empire, 1898-1904"
This documentary details America’s oversees expansion and how world fairs at the time, with grandiose buildings and displays of ‘exotic’ people from around the globe, promoted these interests, as well as notions of Anglo-Saxon superiority. A discussion following the film screening will center on the intersection of the African-American and Filipino-American experience, as America dispatched Buffalo Soldiers to participate in the conflict.
San Diego Miramar College, Room H-104, 10440 Black Mountain Road, 92126.

Wednesday, February 28

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
What's Goin On?
Educational Cultural Complex, 4343 Ocean View Blvd., San Diego. Main Foyer.