San Diego, CA – San Diego Mesa College Black History Month celebrations are underway, highlighted by a series of performances, exhibits, discussions, informational fairs, and other events. All events are free and open to the public, and Mesa College encourages to the community to participate.
“San Diego Mesa College seeks to build a culture of diverse, equitable and inclusive practices that create an enriched environment for our students, staff, faculty and the broader community,” said Mesa College President Dr. Pamela Luster. “We remain as committed as ever to celebrating diversity by honoring Black History Month not only on our own campus, but by involving the greater community.”
Mesa College has held several well-attended events already. On Thursday, February 2, Mesa College celebrated “Rosa Parks Birthday, Recognition and Libation”.Administrators, faculty, staff and students held a short ceremony at the San Diego Mesa College Rosa Parks Transit Bus Stop, located at east gateway entrance to Mesa College. The ceremony honored the legacy of Mrs. Rosa Parks, who had a special relationship with Mesa College and made several visits to the college in the early 1990s.
On Wednesday, February 8, Mesa College hosted “Black Folks & the Blues”,attended by over 200 music lovers. Blues musician Dennard Clendenin discussed the history behind the African American community and blues music during the lecture and performance. Clendenin was featured in Lee Mun Wah’s 2003 film “Last Chance for Eden,” a documentary about racism, sexism and multiculturalism in America.
On Thursday, February 9, the San Diego Mesa College Art Gallery debuted “Impressions: African-American Artists and their Connection to African Art”. The exhibition featured select African-American works by Andrea Chung, Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle, Robert Pruitt, and pieces from the Mesa College African Art Collection. The exhibit runs through March 1 in the Mesa College Art gallery in D101.
Upcoming events:
Open Mic: Poets Speak Out: Tuesday, February 21 from 6:00 p.m. to 9 p.m.Students, faculty, staff and the community are welcome to participate in or be in the audience for the annual Open Mic event. This year, a student winner will be chosen, whose piece of poetry will be performed by Dr. Ron McCurdy during the “Ask Yo Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz” performance.
An Afternoon with Sonia Sanchez: Thursday, February 23 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in MC 211A/B. Award-winning poet, writer and activist Sonia Sanchez – made famous for her revolutionary work in the 1960s – will speak to students, staff, faculty and the community. The event will also include student performances of poetry.
Ask Yo Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz: Monday, February 27 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in G-101. Dr. Ron McCurdy, music professor at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, will be performing Langston Hughes’ epic poem “Ask Yo Mama,” set to jazz music.
To see all the events at San Diego Mesa College, visit the Events Calendar. Photos and B-roll footage of various events is available in the Mesa College Newsroom. All events are free and open to the public – Funded through Student Success & Equity. For more information or to RSVP, contact Dr. Judy Sundayo at[email protected] or call (619) 388-2793.
As the second-largest of California’s 72 community college districts, the San Diego Community College District serves approximately 100,000 students annually through three two-year colleges and San Diego Continuing Education. The three colleges, San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, and San Diego Miramar College, offer associate degrees and certificates in occupational programs that prepare students for transfer to four-year colleges and entry-level jobs. Mesa College also offers a bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management. Continuing Education offers noncredit adult education at six campuses throughout San Diego.
