Collin College Celebrates Black History Month

Collin College will celebrate Black History Month with a series of events hosted by the Collin College Black American Awareness Committee (BAAC) throughout February. This year’s national theme is “African Americans and the Arts.”

District Black History Month Library Displays 

Visit Collin College campus libraries to see books and artwork associated with Black History Month.

Display dates: Feb. 1-29

 

Celebrating Black History: Reflecting on Jazz and Art

Dr. Monica Gallamore, professor of History, and Professor George Neal, professor of Art, will celebrate African American arts and artisans and explore the rich musical and visual arts contributions that have impacted on our culture.

Time/date: 4-5:30 p.m. on Feb. 1

Frisco Campus Conference Center, 9700 Wade Blvd. in Frisco

 

Collin College Auteur Film Series: Creed

Michael B. Jordan stars in this remix of Silvester Stallone’s Rocky (1976), one of cinema’s all-time, won’t-quit, underdog boxing stories. The Auteur Film Series presents classic, foreign, and independent films with brief educational introductions before the screenings and faculty-led panel discussions afterward. 

Time/date: 7-9:45 p.m. on Feb. 1

Plano Campus Conference Center, 2800 E. Spring Creek Parkway in Plano

 

In Search of the Black Fantastic: Culture, Politics, and Transformation in the 21st Century

Over the past two decades, Dr. Lester K. Spence has been at the forefront of attempts to understand and contest the political production of inequality in black communities. Both of his books (Stare in the Darkness: Hip-hop and the Limits of Black Politics, winner of the 2012 W.E.B. Du Bois Distinguished Book Award, and Knocking the Hustle: Against the Neoliberal Turn in Black Politics, winner of both the Baltimore City Paper and Baltimore Magazine 2016 Best Nonfiction Book Awards), use art to understand our contemporary condition. Given the national theme, Dr. Spence will provide a DJ'd lecture on the role the arts play in generating political possibility.

Time/date: 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. on Feb. 8

In person: McKinney Campus Conference Center, 2400 Community Ave. in McKinney. Live Stream: Frisco Campus Conference Center, 9700 Wade Blvd. in Frisco.

 

District Douglass Visions’ African American Campus Museum Exhibit Museum Event

Join the celebration when the Douglass Visions’ African American Campus Museum comes to Collin College campuses. The Credit Union of Texas Community Grill food truck will serve up complimentary meals from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Come out and enjoy an amazing experience celebrating Black History. This event is a collaboration with the Collin College Office of Student Engagement, the Collin College Black American Awareness Committee, the Credit Union of Texas, and the Douglass Visions’ Committee, Inc.

Celina Campus Library – 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Feb. 12

Plano Campus Atrium – 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Feb. 13

Wylie Campus Student Center Atrium – 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Feb. 15

McKinney Campus Atrium – 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Feb. 19

Farmersville Campus Library – 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Feb. 20

Frisco Campus Conference Center – 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Feb. 21

Technical Campus Atrium – 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Feb 22

 

2024 College Megafest

The College Megafest will consist of workshops and panel discussions surrounding the following topics: ACT/SAT prep courses, pre-college workshops, career discussion panels, financial aid information, and overviews of Texas universities/colleges.

Time/date: 10 a.m. on Feb. 17

McKinney Campus Conference Center, 2400 Community Ave. in McKinney

Event Organizers: The McKinney Chamber Foundation and “The Mark” (St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church)

 

Celebrating African American Excellence in the Arts

This video presentation followed by an exciting panel discussion will emphasize the significant impact of African Americans in shaping the cultural landscape, covering visual arts, music, literature, and performance.

Time/date: 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. on Feb. 20  

Wylie Campus Conference Center, 391 Country Club Road

 

Buffalo Soldiers and the Medal of Honor

In this virtual presentation, Park Ranger Roger Osorio, education and outreach coordinator for the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument, will discuss the Buffalo Soldiers who served in segregated U.S. Army units. The lecture will highlight men awarded the highest honor for bravery, the Medal of Honor.

Time/date: 4-5:30 p.m. on Feb. 20

Frisco Campus Conference Center, 9700 Wade Blvd. in Frisco

 

Creative Muse: Writing Black Texans' Stories on the Road to Winning the National Book Award Fiction  

Dr. LaToya Watkins is a 2023 National Book Award winner in Fiction for her novel Holler, Child, a collection of short stories about the lives of Black people in West Texas. In Holler, Child’s 11 brilliant stories, Watkins presses at the bruises of guilt, love, and circumstance. Each story introduces us to a character irrevocably shaped by place and reaching toward something — hope, reconciliation, and freedom.

Time/date: 6-7 p.m. on Feb. 28

Virtual: Dr. LaToya Watkin's Interview (Dr. Candace Cooper Reese)

 

LEADership in the Movies: “Black Panther:  Wakanda Forever”

This film presentation is a sequel to the original 2018 film. Following the untimely death of the fierce Black Panther (2018), grieving Queen Ramonda and noble Princess Shuri struggle to find their feet in a world eager to strip Wakanda of its precious vibranium resources. But one year after the death of King T'Challa, the country faces yet another threat.

Showings: 5-7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 19 in the Plano Campus Living Legends Conference Center; 4-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 21 in Pike Hall (C-120) at McKinney Campus; 3-5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 26 in Wylie Campus Conference Center A; and 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 28 in Frisco Campus Founders Hall F-249.

 

Heart & Soul Food Luncheon

This annual event is open to Collin College students, faculty, and staff. Lunch will be provided while supplies last. Featuring: The Divine 9, Chef Ronald Reczek and Collin College Culinary Arts students.

Time/date: Noon-1:30 p.m. on March 1

Plano Campus Conference Center, 2800 E. Spring Creek Parkway in Plano

 

For more information about Collin College’s Black History Month events, please contact Dr. Cathy Donald-Whitney at cwhitney@collin.edu or visit www.collin.edu/community/aahm.

Collin College serves more than 58,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 200 degrees and certificates, including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity, a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Construction Management, and a new Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Clinical Operations Management. The only public college based in Collin County, Collin College is a partner to business, government, and industry, providing customized training and workforce development. For more information, visit www.collin.edu.