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For further information, contact the MBL Communications Office at (508) 289-7423 or e-mail us at comm@mbl.edu
For Immediate Release: January 28, 2010
Contact: Lionel Hall, 508-289-7449; lhall@mbl.edu
Woods Hole Organizations Celebrate Black History Month With Free Lectures and Potluck
MBL, WOODS HOLE, MA—The Woods Hole Black History Month Committee is pleased to announce a series of events throughout the month of February that celebrate the 2010 Woods Hole Black History Month. Three presentations, each with a literary theme, will be followed by the annual Harambee ethnic potluck dinner. Event details are below.
ALL EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4
“Black Nature: African Americans Writing Nature Poetry”
12:00 PM Meigs Room, Swope Center, Marine Biological Laboratory
5 North Street, Woods Hole
Askia M. Toure', internationally published poet and author of five books, including From the Pyramids to the Projects; winner of the 1989 American Book Award for Literature.
Askia M. Toure' is one of the pioneers of the Black Arts/Black Aesthetics movement and the Africana Studies movement. A modern Renaissance man, Toure' is also a political activist, having served with the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee's (SNCC) Atlanta Project. Toure', co-author of SNCC's "Black Power Position Paper" (featured in the New York Times), which influenced the movement of the Civil Rights Movement towards the Black Power revolution. In the field of literature, Toure' is a co-founding architect of the eminent Black Arts Movement, which revolutionized African-American literature with the creation of an ethnic-based aesthetic.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11
“Imagining a Caribbean Future: Caribbean Literature and Science Fiction”
12:00 PM, Meigs Room, Swope Center, Marine Biological Laboratory
5 North Street, Woods Hole
Alisa Braithwaite, Assistant Professor of Literature, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Using the works of writers such as Nalo Hopkinson, Erna Brodber, Tobias Bucknell, and Junot Díaz, Alisa Braithwaite explores how the genres of science fiction and fantasy allow alternative representations of time and community for a geographical region that already disrupts our conceptions of history and national borders. Braithwaite received her Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Harvard University. Her current research focuses on contemporary Caribbean speculative fiction.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16
“Street Shadows: A Memoir of Race, Rebellion, and Redemption”
12:00 PM Meigs Room, Swope Center, Marine Biological Laboratory
5 North Street, Woods Hole
Jerald Walker, Associate Professor of English, Bridgewater State College
Jerald Walker received his M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he was a Teaching/Writing Fellow and James A. Michener Fellow, and he received his Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies from The University of Iowa.
His works have appeared in numerous national and international publications, including The Missouri Review, The North American Review, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Mother Jones. His work has been widely anthologized in publications such as Best American Essays (2007 & 2009) Best African American Essays (2009 & 2010), America Now, The Writer’s Presence, and Brothers: 26 Stories on Love and Rivalry. His most recent book, Street Shadows: A Memoir of Race, Rebellion and Redemption, was published in January 2010 (Bantam).
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25
Harambee - An ethnic potluck feast welcoming everyone of every race.
4:00 PM, Swope Center Dining Room, Marine Biological Laboratory
5 North Street, Woods Hole
Everyone from every ethnicity is welcome! Enjoy an evening of exotic food, multicultural arts, crafts, and music. Don’t forget to bring your favorite potluck dish.
More information can be found on the Woods Hole Black History Month website at http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/outreach/WHBHMC.
Wood Hole Black History Month is sponsored by the Marine Biological Laboratory; the National Marine Fisheries Service; the U.S. Coast Guard Group Woods Hole; the U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Field Center; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
The Woods Hole Black History Month Committee (WHBHMC) is dedicated to celebrating and educating the Woods Hole community and the community at large about African American history and culture. The committee is responsible for planning and putting on events during the month of February. Past events have included art exhibits, speakers, musical groups and the annual Harambee. The committee is open to all people regardless of ethnicity, gender, race or difference of any kind.
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