AMES, Iowa -- For more than 30 years, the United States has recognized February as Black History Month. To help celebrate the month this year, Iowa State University offers a variety of events. All are free and open to the public.
Jeff Johnson, a journalist, social activist and political commentator, will speak on "Unclaimed Legacy: Who Will Lead?" at 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8, in the Memorial Union Great Hall.
Originally known as "Cousin Jeff," Johnson has earned a reputation as the "conscience voice" of BET networks. He is committed to fostering broad-based communication about issues related to race, politics, pop culture and socioeconomics. Johnson's new book, "Everything I'm Not Made Me Everything I Am," is a call to service for the post-Civil Rights generation.
Johnson has worked as a senior advisor for media and youth outreach for People for the American Way, national director of the Youth and College Division of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and as the vice president of Russell Simmons' Hip Hop Summit Action Network.
Spoken word artist and community leader Ise Lyfe will present a one man show, "Is Everybody Stupid (?)" at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, in the Memorial Union Sun Room.
The multimedia, interactive show is a daring, fast-paced and detailed look into American apathy, disengagement and ignorance. From commercial Hip Hop defining white youth's notions of the African American experience to the commodification of poverty to Obama's ascendancy to the White House, Lyfe's powerful session engages and transforms participants with his critical and creative analysis.
Lyfe's artistic work includes his 2006 debut album, "spreadtheWord," and his latest, "Prince Cometh." He also authored a play, "Who's Krazy?" and a forthcoming book, "Pistols and Prayers." Lyfe has performed in Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam on HBO, and at more than 60 universities. He also works with local organizations addressing the educational, social and political needs of young people in San Francisco and Oakland.
Veteran standup comic Reese Waters will perform at 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at the Maintenance Shop. Waters can be seen on Comedy Central's "Michael and Michael Have Issues." Last year, Reese won the annual Caroline's Comedy Competition and the Emerging Comics Contest at the New York Underground Comedy Festival. In March 2009, he was featured as one of 10 comedians to watch in New York Magazine. Reese has appeared on "Comics Unleashed," "Total Request Live," "Good Morning America," and National Public Radio. SUB Performing Arts is sponsoring the free-admission performance.
Ariel Luckey will present "Free Land: Race and Land in America" at noon Friday, March 5, in the Memorial Union Sun Room. Luckey's multimedia presentation provides background information on the Homestead Act, post-slavery reconstruction programs, and the Indian Wars to illustrate how racially discriminatory federal land policies of the 19th century directly established today's patterns of land ownership.
Luckey is a hip hop theater artist who weaves storytelling, spoken word poetry, dance, acting and hip hop music into compelling narratives of personal and political transformation. His diverse performance locations have included the WTO demonstrations on the streets of Seattle, Café Cantante in Havana, Cuba, and the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York City. His presentation is part of the Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity, ISCORE 2010. (For a full schedule of events and registration information, visit www.iscore.iastate.edu/.)
Black History Month events at Iowa State are cosponsored by Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Planning Committee; African American Studies Program; Black Graduate Student Association; Black Student Alliance; Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics; Center for American Intercultural Studies; the colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Design, Engineering, Human Sciences, and Liberal Arts and Sciences; Dean of Students; ISU Difficult Dialogues; ISCORE; Margaret Sloss Women's Center; Multicultural Student Affairs; the departments of Music, and Philosophy and Religious Studies; Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost; Office of the President; Phi Beta Sigma; Student Union Board; and the Committee on Lectures, which is funded by the Government of the Study Body.