Feb 01, 2019
The Damietta Center for Multicultural Student Affairs at St. Bonaventure University will celebrate Black History Month throughout February with a number of events and activities, including a Feb. 13 presentation by Della Moore, founder and director of the African American Center for Cultural Development in Olean.

Moore’s talk, the inaugural presentation in the Damietta Center’s Distinguished Speaker Series, will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, in the Damietta Center, Room 208 of the Reilly Center on campus.

Moore, who formerly directed the Bona Buddies youth outreach program at St. Bonaventure, will talk about the role Olean played in the Underground Railroad. She will also discuss the services offered by her center, which serves as a museum and education center, as well as a community, heritage and cultural center, celebrating the talents, lives and history of African Americans in the region.

“We’re delighted to welcome Della back to campus,” said Parker Suddeth, Damietta Center coordinator. “Her talk is just one of many activities that will engage and educate our students and the entire campus community.”

On Saturday, Feb. 16, the university, in partnership with Alfred State College, Alfred University and Houghton College, will host a Students of Color Leadership Summit. The event, titled “Rebuilding Community Amid Societal Unrest: #WhatYouJustSaid,” will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Damietta Center.

The summit’s keynote speaker is Tokeya C. Graham, an English professor at Monroe Community College, writer, and founder of Soulstainable Living, a movement that advocates a community-based lifestyle that encourages spiritual healing and continued education.

“The summit will address ways to rebuild and foster community in the wake of bias incidents, and will equip and empower participants to social activism,” said Suddeth.

Other Black History events include “Discourse & Dessert,” hosted by the university’s “It’s Bigger than the (    ) Word” campaign. This event, to be held at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, in the Walsh Science Center amphitheater, will feature a panel discussion on “The State of Black and Brown Relations at SBU.” University students, faculty and staff will participate.

On Saturday, Feb. 23, a number of students will take a bus excursion to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Michigan, to visit the exhibition, “And Still We Rise: Our Journey Through African American History and Culture.” The central experience of the museum, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey that begins in Africa, the cradle of human life, then moves through the horrors of human bondage and emancipation, celebrating the men and women who built families, businesses, educational institutions, civic organizations, and a legacy of freedom in past and present-day Detroit. 

The trip is offered to students at a substantially discounted rate thanks to sponsorship by the School of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Education, School of Health Professions, and the Jandoli School of Communication.

Also, throughout the month the campus community will learn of little-known black history facts posted on the campus’s electronic Notice Board, a daily posting of campus happenings.

Aside from the bus excursion, the Black History Month events on campus are open to the public.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, we believe in the goodness of every person and in the ability of every person to do extraordinary things. St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them. Named the #1 regional university value in New York and #2 in the North by U.S. News and World Report, we are establishing pathways to internships, graduate schools and careers in the context of our renowned liberal arts tradition.