MCC Celebrates Black History Month and features Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Manchester, CT- January 23, 2007… As part of Manchester Community College’s Black History Month celebration, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., one of the United States’ leading scholars in Black studies and African American issues, will deliver a lecture on his career accomplishments, and his highly acclaimed documentary and novel, America Behind the Color Line: Dialogues with African Americans (Warner Books, 2004). The lecture will be held Thursday, February 8, from 12:30 p.m.- 2 p.m. in the SBM Charitable Foundation Auditorium, AST.

Dr. Gates is the W.E.B. Du Bois Professor of the Humanities and Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Oxford African American Studies Center, the first comprehensive scholarly online resource in the field of African American Studies and Africana Studies, and is co-editor of the encyclopedia Encarta Africana and Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience. Dr. Gates recently released America Behind the Color Line: Dialogues with African Americans (Warner Books, 2004), African American Lives, (Oxford, 2004), and The Annotated Uncle Tom’s Cabin, (W. W. Norton, 2006). Finding Oprah’s Roots, his next book and one-hour documentary on the genealogical and genetic heritage of Oprah Winfrey, will be published in February.

This event is free and open to the public and sponsored by the MCC Division of Social Sciences and Hospitality. For more information on this event, please contact Lucy Hurston at 860-512-2791.

Also occurring in February during Black History Month:

The Black History Month Opening Ceremony will be held on Thursday, February 1, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Lowe Lobby. Rev. Dr. Alvan N. Johnson, Jr., Pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Bloomfield, will be the featured speaker. Entertainment will be provided by the Cultural Dance Troupe of the West Indies.

Enjoy an afternoon of Poetry, Spoken Word and Music with Carl Dean, MIRA and Mind Evolution on Thursday, February 15, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the AST Rotunda. Music will be provided by DJ JP and the Hartford Connection.

Elizabeth Horton-Sheff, Councilperson for the City of Hartford, will be the featured guest speaker at the Black History Month Luncheon on Monday, February 19, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Culinary Arts Center located in the Lowe Building. Ms. Horton-Sheff will discuss the landmark civil rights lawsuit, Sheff vs. O’Neill. Seating is limited; reservations are required.

The Black History Month Health Fair will be held on Monday, February 26, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Learning Resource Center Galleria. This event is open to anyone interested in gaining additional information on local health agencies and healthcare services.

Following the health fair, a Panel Discussion on Health Issues in the Black Community will be held on Monday, February 26 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Library Fireside Commons, LRC. A panel of health experts will share their views and experiences on the various health issues affecting the Black community.

To the conclude the Black History Month Celebration at MCC, a Performance featuring the Many Colors of a Woman jazz ensemble and Closing Reception will be held on Wednesday, February 28, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the SBM Charitable Foundation Auditorium and AST Rotunda. The Many Colors of a Woman jazz ensemble was founded in 1987 by a group of jazz lovers, and features original music by Nicki Mathis, Dotti Anita Taylor, Sonja Gayles, Horace Silver and Antonio Carlos. The reception will feature an art showcase presented by local Black artists. Ethnic food and refreshments will be served.

The Pan-African International Film Series will feature a movie every Wednesday during the month of February from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student TV Lounge, located in the Lowe Building.

The Black History Month events are free and open to the public and sponsored by the Office of Multicultural and International Affairs. For more information, contact Joe Mesquita at 860-512-3205.

Students of any age who possess the desire to pursue higher education are welcome at Manchester Community College. MCC is proud of its academic excellence, new facilities, flexible schedules, small classes, low tuition and faculty with both academic and “real world” credentials. The College offers over 60 programs, transfer options, financial aid and scholarships, as well as access to baccalaureate degrees through guaranteed admissions programs with several universities. MCC is situated on a park-like campus and is easily accessible from I-84.