RVCC to Present a Variety of Events in Celebration of Black History Month
BLACK HISTORY MONTH @ RVCC
Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) will celebrate Black History Month with several virtual and in-person events at the College’s Branchburg campus. All events are open to the public, and virtual events will be held via Zoom. Face masks are required in all RVCC facilities. The following programs have been scheduled:
Saturday, February 12, 3 p.m., RVCC Planetarium, "Follow the Drinking Gourd": Audience members will learn how to find the Big Dipper and other stars in our night sky. Then, go back in time to follow a family trying to escape oppression. The Big Dipper guides the group through a frightful but rewarding voyage. Sing along with the slaves who used the song of the Drinking Gourd to travel north on foot from Alabama to Canada. Based on Jeanette Winters’ book by the same title, the show describes the astronomy behind the slave song “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” The family show is recommended for ages 6-12. Planetarium tickets cost $10 each. Reservations are recommended, but all ticket sales are done at the door on the day of the show. Call 908-231-8805. For additional information, visit www.raritanval.edu/planetarium.
Wednesday, February 16, 4 p.m., Poetic Justice – A Virtual Panel Discussion: Join the Paul Robeson Institute for Ethics, Leadership, and Social Justice, the Black Student Alliance (BSA), and the Center for Gender & Sex Equity (CGSE) for a panel discussion on John Singleton’s acclaimed 1993 film, Poetic Justice. The discussion will focus on the film’s impact on culture over the past 30 years. To participate and receive the Zoom link information, register at womenscenter@raritanval.edu. The program is free of charge.
In addition, the Paul Robeson Institute for Ethics, Leadership, and Social Justice will celebrate the National Museum of African American History and Culture with a Smithsonian Poster Exhibition, “A Place for All People,” on display February 1-28. The exhibition, which has been organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) in collaboration with the National Museum of African American History and Culture, will be on view in the Paul Robeson Resource Center located at RVCC’s Evelyn S. Field Library. The exhibition highlights key artifacts that tell the rich and diverse story of the African American experience, offering a living history that reflects challenge, triumph, faith, and hope.
The commemorative poster exhibition will be open to the public, free of charge, during regular library hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
RVCC’s Evelyn S. Field Library will present a Black History Month display on the first floor, featuring books that may be borrowed by the community. The Library also will offer a daily event calendar, located at https://library.raritanval.edu/events, with digital resources to “Learn Something New” about Black history each day. The Library and its collections are open to the public and digital resources that are limited to RVCC users can be viewed by guests from computers within the Library.
RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.
