Harper’s Black History Month events aim to inspire, educate

Black history touches every aspect of American history, culture and society. In celebration of Black History Month, Harper College will present a wide range of events this February. Spanning more than a dozen experiences that include exhibits, art events and social gatherings, the slate of programming will culminate in presentations and displays focused on innovation.

In conjunction with the national Black History Month theme of Black labor, Harper’s History Department is sponsoring two days of events that will delve into Black inventors, the Great Migration, Civil Rights-era music and quilt designs that guided participants in the Underground Railroad. The programming will take place Thursday and Friday, February 27-28 inside and near the Building J Theatre, Room J143, on Harper’s Palatine campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road, Palatine. All events are free and open to everyone.

“Harper is a hub for our community. We want to connect with people,” said Associate Professor Michael Harkins, who helped organize the programming.

Dr. Yolonda Barnes, who oversees the history department as Harper’s dean of the Business and Social Science Division, is excited about the variety of events: “At Harper, we have passionate and skilled faculty and staff who can bring together learners of all ages with talented experts. We know how these events can spark curiosity and deepen knowledge of Black history, which is American history.”

The history department events will kick off at 4:30 p.m. February 27 with poster displays created by Harper students to honor Black inventors and innovators, from icons such as George Washington Carver and Louis Armstrong to lesser-known pioneers who created the folding ironing board, potato chip and Super Soaker.

At 7 p.m., musician Chris Vallillo will perform “Oh Freedom,” a collection of songs from the Civil Rights Movement. An award-winning singer and guitarist who loves to bring together roots music and U.S. history, Vallillo will perform some of the songs that helped illuminate the struggle for equality and determination for freedom.

“We want academic students to come to Harper and, with events like these, they’re going to get as good a presentation as they’re going to get at any major university,” said Harkins, who noted that Vallillo has performed at major events throughout the country. “We’re putting elite performers and real scholars in front of them.”

One such scholar is James Grossman, the executive director of American Historical Association who was previously vice president for research and education at the Newberry Library and has taught at University of Chicago. Grossman wrote Land of Hope: Chicago, Black Southerners, and The Great Migration, which Harkins called the definitive work on the subject.

On February 28, following more poster displays and a continental breakfast, Grossman will sign copies of his books (9:30 a.m.). He will then present about the Great Migration (10 a.m.) and conduct a breakout Q&A session (3 p.m.). Given the national theme focused on labor for Black History Month and how the Great Migration transformed the Chicago area, Harkins is excited about Grossman’s participation in Harper’s events.

Although he’s just as enthusiastic about welcoming Connie Martin, a retired teacher who draws on oral history and the arts to discuss how enslaved people sought freedom before the Civil War. At 1 p.m. on February 28, Martin will present “Pre-Civil War Quilts: Secret Codes to Freedom on the Underground Railroad,” explaining how participants in the network cleverly used quilt designs to help guide people to safety.

“I’m looking forward to the variety of ways we are connecting our students and our community with Black history. We provide a friendly environment to gain knowledge and, perhaps, understanding,” Harkins said. “When you come to these events, you’ll listen, you’ll read, you’ll watch. And when you leave, you’ll be inspired.”

For more information on Harper’s Black History Month events, visit events.harpercollege.edu.