USI to host February events and activities to honor Black History Month

The University of Southern Indiana is hosting a variety of events and activities in February to honor Black History Month. The month will include a Rhythm Festival, Debate Competition and more.  

Below is a full list of happenings during the month:  

Homecoming Rhythm Festival
6 p.m. February 3, Performance Center 

The Center for Campus Life and the Multicultural Center will bring Rhythm Fest 2023 to campus as part of this year's Homecoming activities. The music event will feature a "Versus Battle" with St. Louis' LaToya Wilson and Shanelle Scott. The two will perform covers by well-known artists, and refreshments will be served.  

This event is open to the public at no charge. 

Oratorical Competition
5 p.m. February 7, Traditions Lounge - University Center East

The Multicultural Center will host its 5th annual Oratorical Competition. The theme for this year’s competition is “Narrating the Resistance," and its focus is to give voice to the ideas, thoughts, and actions that support and explain the story of the resistance and its meaning in history through the eyes of USI students. Participants are asked to write and prepare a three-and-a-half-minute speech.  

This event is open to the public at no charge. 

Black History Month Debate Competition
5 p.m. February 9, Traditions Lounge - University Center East 

The Multicultural Center will host its 5th Annual Debate Competition. The competition will consist of two to four teams, and teams will be composed of three members who will defend their position on “60 Years Since Washington” from the affirmative or negative side. The debate order will follow with a first affirmative (opening), first negative (opening), second affirmative (rebuttal), second negative (rebuttal), third affirmative (closing) and third negative (closing).  

This event is not open to the public. 

Black History Heroes Bingo
5 p.m. February 13, Traditions Lounge - University Center East

Housing and Residence Life will host a Black History Heroes bingo event consisting of bingo games featuring numerous African American figures throughout history in a fun and educational setting. Light refreshments and prizes will be awarded during the event. 

This event is not open to the public. 

Authentically Me Rock the Wrap Headwrap Seminar
4 p.m. February 20, Student Life Lounge – University Center East

Authentically Me Natural Hair Club will host a seminar to learn about headwraps, including a presentation on the origins of headwraps, a discussion on unique styles and types of wraps and the opportunity for participants to practice wrapping. Authentically Me Natural Hair Club is a USI student organization that encourages individuals to embrace their authentic selves through their natural hair. 

This event is not open to the public. 

Cultural Cookoff
3:30 p.m. Thursday, February 23, Health Professions Center Room 0063

Soul food has a rich and important history that ties Black culture to its African roots, and this history is deeply reflected in the staple recipes and techniques. This year, the Multicultural Center is connecting to African roots and will have representatives from the countries of Kenya, Ghana and the British Virgin Islands cooking dishes from their countries to share with USI students. 

This event is not open to the public. 

Black Student Union Gala
6 p.m. February 24, Griffin Center 

Black Student Union will host its 2nd annual Black Student Union Gala, inviting the USI and Evansville communities the opportunity to celebrate Black History Month in style, celebrate the accomplishments of graduating students and enhance and increase the knowledge of cultural diversity through a shared social experience. The theme for this year’s Gala is “Sneakerball.”  

This event is not open to the public.

Nelson Mandela Social Justice Day featuring Dr. Rachel Hardeman
4:30 p.m. February 27, Carter Hall - University Center West

The annual Nelson Mandela Social Justice Day is a speaker series directly addressing social justice issues that affect the local or national community. The Nelson Mandela Social Justice Committee and the College of Liberal Arts will welcome Dr. Rachel R. Hardeman as the 2023 keynote speaker with her presentation “Black Reproductive Health: Getting at the Root Cause of Inequity.” 

Hardeman is a tenured Associate Professor in the Division of Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health, the Blue Cross Endowed Professor in Health and Racial Equity and the Founding Director of the Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity. 

For more information about the speaker series and keynote speaker, visit the Mandela Social Justice Day website. 

This event is open to the public at no charge. 

For questions regarding Black History Month events, contact Jada Hogg, Outreach Coordinator for the USI Multicultural Center and Student Mentor, at jhogg@usi.edu or 812-228-5000.