The Brock/Niagara African Canadian Renaissance Group and its partners at the University will again host a series of community events throughout February to celebrate this year’s African Heritage Month (AHM).

The month-long program includes art exhibits and performances, film screenings, guest lectures, a drumming workshop and cooking demonstration, just to name a few.

All of these events are free. Everyone is welcome to attend.

“We invite the community to join us as we celebrate, debate and share what is a tradition at Brock University,” says Richard Ndayizigamiye, a Brock professor of modern languages, literatures and cultures and co-chair of this year’s organizing committee.

“For 2013, the AHM organizing committee worked to develop programming with a focus on Haiti,” says co-chair Tamari Kitossa, associate professor of sociology.

Highlights from this year’s celebrations include:

* Friday, Feb. 1: a painting exhibition by Haitian artist Jean Salomon André, entitled “With an Open Heart, Ongoing,” will be on display from Feb. 1 to 8, in the Sean O’Sullivan Theatre Lobby at Brock. André will also be at the University for an opening reception and meet-the-artist event on Friday, Feb. 1, from 5 to 7 p.m.

* Thursday, Feb. 7: the second annual Dr. Wilma Morrison African Heritage Lecture featuring Ontario Superior Court Justice James R. H. Turnbull. He will speak about The Joy and Hope of Haiti Foundation, an NGO that he founded, and the work that he has done to help the country reform its justice system. His talk takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. in Academic South 217 at the University.

Wilma Morrison, a local historian, curator, advocate and educator of black history in Niagara, received an honorary degree from Brock in 2010.

Other groups at Brock, including International Services and Programs Abroad, Brock International, the Niagara Social Justice Forum and office of Human Rights and Equity Services, have also been instrumental in co-ordinating this year’s AHM activities.

Events taking place at the University and in the community, include:

• Brock screenings of the four-part PBS documentary Black in Latin America by Henry Louis Gates Jr., director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University.
  – Tuesday, Jan. 29 – Part 1: Mexico & Peru, 5:30 – 7 p.m., Thistle 241
  – Tuesday, Feb. 5 – Part 3: Cuba, 5:30 – 7 p.m., Thistle 241
  – Monday, Feb. 11 – Part 4: Haiti & Dominican Republic, 5:30 – 8 p.m., Sankey Chamber
  – Tuesday, Feb. 26 – Part 2: Brazil, 5:30 – 7 p.m., Thistle 241

• Friday, Feb. 1 – Workshop: The impact of mining in Ghana and Peru
  Featuring Hevina Dashwood, associate professor, political science, and Ana Isla, associate professor, sociology, 10 – 11:30 a.m., Plaza Building 500A, Brock University

• Monday Feb. 4 – Workshop: West African drumming workshop
  Gavin Webb, adjunct faculty, State University of New York at Binghamton, 1:30 – 3 p.m., Sankey Chamber, Brock University

• Tuesday, Feb. 5 – Talk: Influence from the African Diaspora on popular music in Africa
  Gavin Webb, adjunct faculty, State University of New York at Binghamton, 1 – 2:30 p.m., Plaza Building 600F, Brock University

• Thursday, Feb. 7 – Workshop: Haitian cooking demonstration
  Hosted by Haitian students, 12 noon – 1 p.m., International Centre 203, Brock University

• Saturday, Feb. 9 – Tour: The Underground Railroad
  Hosted by Brock student club Roots African Caribbean Society. For more info: brockroots@gmail.com

• Saturday, March 2 – Performance: Culture Wave
  Hosted by Brock student club Roots African Caribbean Society at the David S. Howes Theatre, Brock University. For more info: brockroots@gmail.com

For a complete schedule of African Heritage Month activities taking place at Brock and in the community: brockniagaraafricangroup.weebly.com