Black History Month

This workshop is designed to help students understand leadership through a civil rights lens, inspired by the leadership style of Martin Luther King, Jr. Participants also will learn how to apply elements of MLK’s leadership philosophy into their own leadership practices. Food will be provided at this event, inspired by Dr. King's favorite meal of fried chicken, collard greens, candied sweet potatoes, green beans, pecan pie, and sweet tea.

Daniel Dawes, J.D., App State’s 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. speaker, serves as senior vice president of Global Health and executive director of the Global Health Equity Institute at Meharry Medical College. He also will serve as the founding dean of the future School of Global Public Health at Meharry Medical College, the first school of public health at a historically black institution. He has dedicated his career to understanding the root causes of racial health disparities, building awareness of the problem and advocating for racial health equity.

During Black History Month this year, the Hayes School of Music and the Department of English will host the third annual concert series celebrating the contributions that African-American composers and poets have made — and continue to make — to our community, our country and our world. This concert will feature a diverse array of performances and readings, including the musical works of Margaret Bonds and Scott Joplin, as well as the literary works of Langston Hughes and Honorée Fanonne Jeffers.

ZUZU African Acrobats is a Tanzanian troupe that combines gravity-defying stunts with live music, singing, dancing and more in a passionate celebration of their niche Dar Es Salaam culture of East Africa. Their performance features human pyramids, dish spinning, unicycling and juggling, as well as pole acts, hoop diving and comedy. Free admission, open to the public

The Office of Diversity is hosting a series this year called “We’re Here”. The purpose of this series is to amplify the voices of students, faculty, staff and alumni by providing the space to talk about their lived experiences as part of our campus from historically underrepresented identities. As part of Black History month we are hosting the “We’re Here: NPHC & Multicultural Greek Communities at App State” panel discussion, which will be led by one of the members of our Greek community.

App State will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of service during the Mobilize the Mountains Day of Service. Students will serve with local community partners and reflect on social issues affecting North Carolina’s High Country region. Afterward they will engage in group discussions about racial inequality and King’s impact as a servant leader.

During Black History Month this year, the Hayes School of Music and the Department of English will host the third annual concert series celebrating the contributions that African-American composers and poets have made — and continue to make — to our community, our country and our world. This concert will feature a diverse array of performances and readings, including the musical works of L. Viola Kinney and Duke Ellington, as well as the poetry of Haki R. Madhubuti.

Traci Royster, director of staff development and strategic initiatives, in App State’s Division of Student Affairs, will moderate a candid discussion on life and work in Boone with local residents of the Junaluska neighborhood, a historically Black community in the High Country. The multi-generational panel will bring together community members whose career paths have included work at App State, including Anitra Ball, Roberta Jackson and Lynn Patterson.

Hailed by NPR as “one of America’s defining voices of freedom and peace,” Staples is the kind of once-in-a-generation artist whose impact on music and culture would be difficult to overstate. She brings her powerful message and equally powerful voice to the Schaefer Center for a one-night-only experience. “I’m the messenger,” Mavis Staples said on the eve of her 80th birthday. “That’s my job — it has been for my whole life — and I can’t just give up while the struggle’s still alive.”