By Munira Alimire
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Munira.Alimire1651@mb.rctc.edu
RCTC recognized Black History Month with several weeks of presentations and activities celebrating achievements of the black community and reflecting on the central role they have played in United States history.
The celebration started on Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a series of activities related to his “I Have A Dream” speech. Students watched the speech, ate cupcakes and made buttons representing their own dreams. The event was sponsored by Student Life, the Black Student Union and Multicultural Services.
Echo photo by Nathan Hoover
Students Drew Brinker, Betty Perez and Elijah Honerman make buttons on MLK day with the assistance of Multicultural Adviser Chao Mwatela.
Other events were scheduled throughout the month of February, beginning with a poetry slam on the 6th featuring both RCTC students and community poets.
On the 7th, the Rochester Public Library hosted a viewing of the film “Race,” which showcases the tale of Jesse Owens, an athlete who historically won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The film showing will be followed by a discussion panel.
RCTC, Winona State University and University of Minnesota-Rochester teamed up with the Diversity Council to present “Of Ebony Embers Ò Vignettes of the Harlem Renaissance” on the 12th. This chamber music theater work celebrates the lives of three great African-American poets as seen through eyes of the great muralist and painter Aaron Douglas.
On Valentine’s Day, This Is Me, a student fashion show, will be held in the cafeteria at noon. It is a bid to showcase the diversity represented by the student body at the college, whether by gender, age, ethnicity, religious background or sexual orientation.
On the 16th, RCTC will host A Man and His Music at the Mayo High School from 6-8pm. This event will be conducted by the associate conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra, Roderick Cox.
Finally to close off the month, RCTC will host a film showing of “Chisholm 72: Unbought and Unbossed,” a documentary on the first woman to run for president. The showing will be held on February 23 at the Hill Theater from 12-1:30pm.