Several events are set for February as the CU Boulder community celebrates Black History Month 2023. Plan to attend gatherings around campus, take in movie screenings, explore and learn through the University Libraries guide and more!

 Feb. 1: Heavy is the head that wears the crown

This workshop, exploring "reasons why my hair is magical and you still cannot touch it," will provide participants with a brief history of Black hair that stretches back to enslavement in Colonial America, educate non-Black folks on how to avoid this pitfall and provide participants with strategies on how to advocate for themselves (or peers).

Feb. 1: CAAAS grand opening

The Center for African and African American Studies (CAAAS or “The Cause”) will open its doors to campus members and the community during this event, which will feature high-profile speakers and performances from artists and local high school students. Registration required.

Editor's update Feb. 3: Enjoy a recap of this event, including photos and video: Energized crowd welcomes new African and African American studies center to campus.

 Feb. 8: The state of fitness and health in Black America

 Join Arts and Sciences for a conversation with Peter Stevenson on what health differences exist between African Americans and non-African Americans; health risks predominantly associated with the Black community; mental health; and more.

 Feb. 9: This Is [Not] Who We Are

This documentary film explores the gap between Boulder’s self-image and the more complex lived experiences—both historical and contemporary—of its Black citizens. After the viewing, the audience will be able to ask questions of Katrina Miller, one of the film's directors.

 Feb. 10: Kongo dance class (for students)

Students: Join the Dennis Small Cultural Center for an unforgettable class with Enock Kalubi Kadima (Brotha E.). The dance artist was born and raised in the Democratic Republic of Congo and was introduced to hip hop in 2010. In 2014, Brotha E. started sharing his knowledge and became known throughout the U.S and beyond.

Feb. 10: Contesting race and citizenship: Youth politics in the Black Mediterranean

Camilla Hawthorne will examine the proliferation of Black Italian movements—projects that address the Italian nation-state and the wider Black diaspora by disrupting the link between whiteness and Italianness and challenging the interlocking racist violences of Fortress Europe. 

 Feb. 13: Intersectionality in anti-Black spaces

 At this Dennis Small Cultural Center dialogue, connect with peers in conversation to share your knowledge and learn from each other in a safe space. All students, staff and faculty welcome!

 Feb. 15: Reinventing yourself

When all else fails, what is your Plan C? Kimberly Ellis is a college choice expert and life skills coach for student-athletes, adult learners and underrepresented student populations advocate.

Feb. 19: Nashville African American Wind Symphony concert

At Macky Auditorium, join the NAACP of Boulder County as it presents the Nashville African American Wind Symphony, which will perform classical music highlighting American folklore influenced by African American culture. The concert is free and open to the public.

 Feb. 20: Speaker Guha Shankar

A guest of the Mellon/ACLS speaker series on visual media, justice and human rights, Guha Shankar is a folklife specialist at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, co-director of the Civil Rights History Project and coordinator of Ancestral Voices. His talk will include a film screening.

 Feb. 22: Rooted in community (for students)

Students: Join the Dennis Small Cultural Center in collaboration with the Black Student Alliance and African Students Association for an afternoon of community, plus a free plant! Limit one per person, while supplies last.

Feb. 22: ‘The Mental Health of Black Girls and the CU Boulder Community’

Please join the Renée Crown Wellness Institute’s Girls Like Us Program for their first featured speaker, Jazmyne Peters. Peters' interactive conversation will touch on an embodied approach to the understanding of intersectionality, trauma and healing.

Feb. 24: ‘Rethinking failure: Genres of anticolonial thought’ and ‘Celestial bodies and Black ecologies’ 

Invited by the English department for a series co-sponsored by the Center for African and African-American Studies (CAAAS or "The Cause"), Professors Yogita Goyal (UCLA) and Cherene Sherrard-Johnson (Pomona College) will give lectures. 

 Feb. 27: ‘The Black Power Mixtape 1967–1975’

 Join the Dennis Small Cultural Center for a showing of "The Black Power Mixtape 1967–1975," followed by a discussion. All students, staff and faculty welcome! Food and beverages provided.