As president of Belmont’s Black Student Association, Kayla Young wants to spend Black History Month celebrating her African-American heritage by giving all students the chance to participate.
“It’s always been one of my favorite months,” Young said. “It’s one of the only times I feel like my ancestors are seen as vital elements of what our country has become.”
To celebrate, BSA will host events throughout February — including a film series and a keynote speaker.
“Black History Month is an extremely important time for our country — all of our country — but especially people of color and students,” Young said.
As a motion pictures major, Young is especially excited about the film series she helped organize with the Belmont Film Society.
Every Monday night during February, Belmont will screen a film centered around people of color.
Young wants everyone to be able to participate in Black History Month, the film series serving as one of the best opportunities.
A faculty member will also be present at each showing to answer audience questions, and convocation credit will be given to students who attend. The dates, times and films being shown are listed below.
BSA also plans to host a keynote speaker during the third or fourth week of February.
For a full list of events, click here.
February Film Series Schedule
Courtesy of Kayla Young/BSA
Feb. 12 – Black Love: The first episode of this four-part docu-series produced for the Oprah Winfrey Network highlights love stories from the black community and seeks to find secrets to making a marriage work. The post-screening discussion will be led by a panel of black couples!
Feb. 19 – Hidden Figures: This Best-Picture Oscar-nominated film tells the story of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program.
Feb. 26 – Marshall: A young Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, battles through one of his career-defining cases.
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This article written by Katie Knipper.