January 30, 2008 — February events in honor of Black History Month at the University of Virginia begin with Dr. Maurice Apprey, dean of the Office of African-American Affairs, giving his annual address. He will speak on "Student Affairs as Capacity Building" on Feb. 4 in the Rotunda Dome Room at 7 p.m.

Other events range from keynote speaker Alfred A. Edmond Jr., editor-in-chief of Black Enterprise magazine, talking about African-American entrepreneurs on Feb. 25, to a Feb. 6 program focusing on Charlottesville's black community and its connections to the University. The month wraps up on Feb. 27 with a look at the state of young black America, featuring a panel of students and alumni.

For information, contact Dion Lewis, assistant dean and director of the Luther P. Jackson Black Cultural Center in the Office of African-American Affairs, at (434) 924-7923 or dwl2b@virginia.edu.

A calendar of events follows:
 
Black History Month 2008

Feb. 4
• State of the Office of African-American Affairs Address: Student Affairs as Capacity Building
Dr. Maurice Apprey, dean, Office of African-American Affairs
Rotunda Dome Room, 7 p.m.
Sponsors: Office of African-American Affairs, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority

Feb. 6       
• The Tie That Binds: Charlottesville's Black Community and the University of Virginia
Panelists: Coy Barefoot, director of Communications and Alumni Relations at the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, and radio host of WINA's "Charlottesville—Right Now"; Scot French, director of the Virginia Center for Digital History; Ervin L. Jordan Jr., U.Va. special collections research archivist and the University’s records manager, who is working on a forthcoming book on the history of African-Americans at the University; E. Franklin Dukes, director of the Institute for Environmental Negotiation; Leni Sorensen, African-American research historian at Monticello.
Newcomb Hall Ballroom, 7 p.m.
Sponsors: Office of African-American Affairs, Our Legacy Inc., OAAA Black Leadership Institute, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority.

Feb. 11
• Making History: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
    Black physicians from the U.Va. Health System discuss the history of black Americans in the medical field. Discussion will be followed by break-out sessions with physicians, undergraduate pre-medical students and current U.Va. medical students.
Jordan Hall Auditorium, U.Va. Medical School, 6-7:30 p.m.
Sponsors: Office of African-American Affairs, School of Medicine Office of Diversity, Daniel Hale Williams Premedical Honor Society, OAAA Peer Advisor Program Pre-Med Committee, Student National Medical Association.

Feb. 16
• Black Men's Breakfast '08
    Black men who are students, faculty, staff and community members come together in brotherhood over a Southern home-style breakfast, acknowledging and celebrating community contributions as men of African descent.
Sponsors: Office for Diversity and Equity, Office of African-American Affairs, Black Student Alliance, Project R.I.S.E.
Alumni Hall, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Event is by invitation only.

Feb. 22
• Portraits in Color Celebration
    Step It Up celebrates African-American achievement. From politics to entertainment, African-Americans have contributed tremendously to the world. Various groups from the University community recognize these accomplishments through a variety of presentations.
Sponsor: Step It Up, a student group whose mission is cultural expressions through dance.
Newcomb Hall Ballroom; doors open at 6 p.m., show begins at 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 23
• Black Voices Winter Concert
    Black Voices at the University of Virginia is a choir that sings music of the African-American culture, encouraging Christian love through gospel music, worship, service and fellowship.
University Baptist Church, 5 p.m.

Feb. 25 (revised date)
• Black History Month 2008 Keynote Address: "Black History and the Missing Chapter: African-American Entrepreneurs"
Alfred A. Edmond Jr., editor-in-chief, Black Enterprise Magazine
    An award-winning reporter and editor, Edmond has been recognized by TJFR Business News Reporter as one of America's 100 Most Influential Financial Journalists. During his tenure as the chief editor, the magazine has earned five Folio Editorial Excellence Awards in the category of business/finance consumer magazines, a Griot Award from the New York Association of Black Journalists and more than a dozen other editorial and design awards. A nationally recognized expert on business and economic trends, Edmond has appeared regularly on such television shows as CNNfn's "Market Call," "BET Nightly News" and "America's Black Forum."
Sponsors: Office of African-American Affairs, Graduate Student Programs in the Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.
Newcomb Hall Ballroom, 7 p.m.

Feb. 27
• The State of Young Black America
    A panel will analyze the current trends and social climate that affect black American youth, addressing topics such as education, politics, culture and health.
Sponsors: U.Va. Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Office of African-American Affairs, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority.
Newcomb Hall Ballroom, 7 p.m.