Issue date: 2/11/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Eric Poole Stan Armstrong, the filmmaker behind "The Making of Invisible Las Vegas," a documentary, speaks to students during a Black History Month presentation.

Black History Month activities and celebrations are set to continue throughout the rest of February.

Earl Mulderink, professor of history, said it is important to recognize the various people who helped make America what it is today.

"I think it's important that our history be more inclusive, and this is one way to inform and educate people about the experiences and contributions of African Americans in our American history," he said.

Black History Month is an older holiday than many would suspect, Mulderink said.

"The founder of this movement was Carter G. Woodsen, who began the celebrations in the 1920s," he said. "In the 1980s, President (Ronald) Reagan signed legislation to make it officially Black History Month."

SUU has celebrated Black History Month for several years, and many organizations help make it happen, Mulderink said.

"The Multicultural Center makes sure we have the funding … and Jeb Branin always tries to have a Black-History-Month-focused Convocation in February," he said. "Kappa Alpha Psi is a black fraternity, the Black Student Alliance is going to be doing a panel next week, and our department helps to sponsor this by having academic oversight so students can gain credit if they follow through and go to the required activities."

Mulderink said registration for the one-credit class is closed.

"Many of the events are tied to the class we offer, but it is too late to get into either of them," he said.

All of the presentations deal with a single theme, Mulderink said.

"This year's theme is 'The Invention of Black,'" he said.

There are many opportunities for the community to get involved, Mulderink said.

"On (Tuesday) there is going to be a Convocation that is actually a play, and on (Feb.) 21 we'll have members of the Black Student Alliance discussing things like being a black student at a predominantly white institution such as ours," he said.

Continued...

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