February is Black History Month and Marquette University will not be short on celebratory events that also look to highlight self-care throughout the month. Events are coordinated through the Center for Engagement and Inclusion and the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, and will all be held within the Alumni Memorial Union at 1442 W. Wisconsin Ave. in Milwaukee unless noted otherwise.
Some notable events include the kick-off event, Black at Marquette Kick-Off Luncheon which will be on Thursday, Feb. 1 at noon, co-hosted by the Center for Engagement and Inclusion and the Black Faculty and Staff Employee Resource Group. February 15 will be a celebration of Black love and honoring of Black Love Week as the Marquette Counseling Center will host the “Soulful Serenity: Nurturing Black Self-Love Through Meditation” event at 5 p.m. led by Marie Humes, counselor and coordinator for Black/African American student support.
There will be a discussion titled, “Voices Unheard: Understanding Black Culture’s Relationship with Drug Use,” on Feb. 22 at noon that will focus on the topic of substance abuse led by Dominique Balderas, a licensed professional counselor and coordinator of AOD support services for the Marquette Counseling Center. There will also be an Ebony Ball hosted by the Black Student Council on Feb. 24, as well as a Black Joy exhibit from Feb. 26 to March 1 celebrating Black culture at Marquette.
Kentrell Washington, advanced practice social worker and coordinator of services for underrepresented students in the Counseling Center, will be leading “The Black Boy Blooms” workshop on Feb. 29 at 5 p.m. with an invitation for Black men to come discuss “Black Boy Joy” and how it intersects with mental health and masculinity. Earlier on Feb. 29 at 12:15 p.m., Derek Mosley, director of Marquette Law School’s Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education, will discuss Black history as U.S. history in his presentation, “Things Your History Teacher Didn’t Teach You: Blacks in History.” This presentation will be held in Eckstein Hall at 1215 W. Michigan Ave. and require registration which can be found here.
A complete list of Black History Month events at Marquette University can be found here.