Northwest Missouri State University’s commemoration of Black History Month will feature a movie screening, mobile museum and art exhibit.

Black History Month, which is celebrated annually in February, gives people the opportunity to share, understand and commemorate the impacts of African American heritage and culture.

“It is important to celebrate Black History Month because it not only promotes diversity, it celebrates diversity,” Dr. Justin Mallett, the assistant vice president of diversity and inclusion at Northwest, said. “Black History Month, like all of the heritage months, helps us learn about different cultures and backgrounds and helps us understand how we are all connected, and this connection unites all of us.”

The nationwide theme for Black History Month in 2023 focuses on “Black Resistance” and its many forms, including learning about Black history, supporting Black authors and entrepreneurs and celebrating Black history, communities and cultures. The theme will help attendees of Northwest events learn how Black people fought oppression in America’s earliest days.

Black History Month was founded as Negro History Week in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson with the goal of educating Blacks about their cultural background and instilling a sense of pride in their race. Since 1976, Black History Month is celebrated annually in the United States.

More information about Black History Month activities at Northwest is provided below. All activities are free and open to the public.

For more information about Black History Month activities at Northwest, contact Mallett at jmallett@nwmissouri.edu or 660.562.1517.

Black History Mobile Museum

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2; J.W. Jones Student Union Boardroom

Founded by Detroit Public School educator Khalid el-Hakim, the Black History 1010 Mobile Museum travels to campuses and cultural events throughout the nation. With an archive of more than 1,500 rare Black memorabilia items and artifacts, the mobile museum presents powerful displays that celebrate the Black experience.

Movie: “I am Not Your Negro”

6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8; J.W. Jones Student Union Boardroom

Based on the text from James Baldwin’s unfinished final novel, the film explores the history of racism in the United States through Baldwin’s recollections of civil rights leaders Malcom X, Medgar Evers and Martin Luther King Jr. The film was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 89th Academy Awards and won the 2018 BAFTA Award for Best Documentary.

Art exhibit: “Bias in America”

Monday, Feb. 20, to Friday, March 17; J.W. Jones Student Union Living Room, B.D. Owens Library and Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building. The exhibit will open with a reception at 5 p.m. in the Olive DeLuce Art Gallery at the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building.

The art exhibit is sponsored by Northwest Art Club and will showcase work produced by art students and club members that explores different forms of bias in society, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion and mental health. The exhibit is intended to promote reflection on pressing issues of the present time.