WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY CELEBRATES AFRICAN HERITAGE MONTH Lectures, films, performances and trips are among the highlights of William Paterson's month-long African Heritage celebration during February. Kamau Kenyatta, adjunct professor, African, African American, and Caribbean studies (AACS) will give the keynote speech at the opening ceremony to be held on February 2 at noon in the Student Center Ballroom on campus. Music will be provided by Amistad Productions. "Bob Marley Day," Thursday, February 4, will feature a luncheon of ethnic food from noon to 2 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. Also on February 4, there will be an open forum about "Black Love" at 7 p.m. in the Towers Pavilion. A program titled "Each One, Teach One" will be held on Saturday, February 6 at noon. On February 7, an African Heritage Month Mass, sponsored by the Catholic Campus Ministry and featuring the William Paterson Gospel Choir, will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the Bishop Frank J. Rodimer Catholic Campus Ministry Center on campus. Daniel Meaders, William Paterson assistant professor of history, will present a lecture on lynching on February 9 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. An accompanying photo exhibit will provide a strong visual component to the lecture. Quiz-show aficionados can test their knowledge at the "Black Knowledge Bowl" at 7 p.m. in the Towers Pavilion on February 9. On February 10, Irwin Nack, professor of history, will give a slide presentation and commentary on "The Transatlantic Slave Trade," from noon to 2 p.m. in the Library Auditorium. Mary Stanton, author of "From Selma to Sorrow," will host a discussion on Thursday, February 11 from noon to 1:45 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom with members of the William Paterson community who participated in the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. There will also be an open forum on "Health Issues" on February 11 at 7 p.m. in the Towers Pavilion. A trip to the "Black Wax Museum" and Inner Harbor, Baltimore, Maryland is scheduled for Saturday, February 13. The bus departs at 7 a.m. and returns to campus at 10 p.m. Tickets are $7 and include entrance to the museum. For more information, visit the Office of Campus Activities or call 973-720-2518. A "Faculty and Staff Appreciation Reception" will be held on February 16 in the Student Center Ballroom from noon to 2 p.m. On February 17, Yusef Ali, professor, African, African-American and Caribbean studies (AACS), will give a talk titled "From Slaveships to Scholarships: The Evolution of African American Music" in the Library Auditorium from noon to 2 p.m. An open forum on "The Music Industry's Influence on African-Americans" will be held on Thursday, February 18 at 7 p.m. in the Towers Pavilion. Music lovers can enjoy a "Hip Hop Extravaganza" at 9 p.m. on Friday, February 19 in the Student Center Ballroom and "Back to Jazz Night" on Saturday, February 20 at 8 p.m. in Billy's Pat's Pub. On Sunday, February 21 a "Gospel Explosion" takes place in the Student Center Ballroom at 7 p.m. A symposium on "Africans and African Americans in the Dawn of the New Millennium" given by AACS will be held on February 23 from 12:30 to 1:45 in the Student Center Ballroom. Deborah Gray White, historian and professor at Rutgers University, will discuss her new book, "Too Heavy a Load: Black Women in Defense of Themselves," in the Student Center Ballroom from noon to 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, February 25. Also on February 25, students are invited to discuss the "Educational Issues of William Paterson African-American Students" in an open forum at 7 p.m. in the Towers Pavilion. Capping off the month-long events, there will be a semi-formal ball, sponsored by the NAACP, on Saturday, February 27 at 9 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. Most African Heritage events are free and all are open to the public. For additional information, please call William Paterson's Office of Campus Activities at 973-720-2519 or the Office of Minority Education at 973-720-3100. ###
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