Celebrate Black History Month 2021

February is Black History Month. Throughout the month, New York Institute of Technology will celebrate by hosting a series of events, some in partnership with outside organizations. The university also recognizes our Black alumni, students, and faculty who are doing great things in their professional and academic careers as well as in their communities. Learn more about them.

Smithsonian Online
February 4
11 a.m.
Zoom ID: 974 6336 3753
Join the National Museum of American History for an online exploration into Black History Month, featuring museum resources from the Smithsonian.

A Seat at the Table: Prison Reform and Restorative Justice
February 4
6 p.m.
Registration required. Email Diandra Macias.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture will host a thought-provoking conversation of race, justice, and mass incarceration in the United States. The speakers will discuss the industrial prison system and its impact on Black and Latino populations. After the presentation, audience participants will have the opportunity to share their stories and ideas on addressing prisons in favor of alternative forms of restorative justice. A Seat at the Table is an interactive program for participants to consider challenging questions about race, identity, and economic justice over a meal. Registrants of the program will be able to select a meal option to enjoy at home.

Black History 101 Mobile Museum
February 11
12:45 p.m.
Zoom ID: 936 0996 1672
Join us for a night of exploring different forms of artistic expression ranging from poetry and singing to videography and painting as we engage with the work of three Black interdisciplinary artists. Audience members will hear about their experiences, processes, and how they choose to tell their narrative through their artwork.

Black Artistry and Expression
February 12
7 – 8:30 p.m.
Zoom ID: 972 0091 8260
Join us for a night of exploring different forms of artistic expression, ranging from poetry and singing to videography and painting as we engage with the work of three Black interdisciplinary artists. Audience members will hear about their experience, process, and how they choose to tell their narrative through their artwork. Featuring artists Nytesia Ross, poet, videographer, and digital content producer at XQ Institute; Gregory Serebuoh, singer, songwriter, and interdisciplinary artist; and Patricia Santos, artist and cofounder of We Art One Artist Collective.

Rhythm and Revolution
February 16
12:30 p.m.
Zoom ID: 969 5050 7251
STAX Music Academy presents “Rhythm and Revolution: Expressions of Struggle, collaboration, and Peace” which will feature the music of soul greats and the legendary artists of Stax Records. Mixed with jazz, spoken word, and original music from SMA’s talented students, viewers will not only experience music of the Civil Rights Movement and more recent anthems, but will also learn about history makers such as Ida B. Wells, Robert Church, and Langston Hughes—lessons that are as relevant today as they were in the past.

Black Business and Creating a Legacy
February 18
12:30 – 1:50 p.m.
Zoom ID: 959 9401 1891
Over the past several years, there has been a movement to support Black-owned businesses and give them the same respect and financial opportunities as other businesses. Join us for a keynote address to learn how corporations and everyday people can more actively support black businesses, then stay for a workshop on how students can best manage their finances now to build their future financial power. Featured speaker: Kezia M. Williams, CEO of The Black upStart and MyBlackReceipt, and author of Black Entrepreneurs Workbook.

Open Dialogues
Friday, February 19
3 – 4 p.m.
Zoom ID: 924 9149 5362
Join us for student-driven conversations surrounding current issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and the student experience. Topics may include identity, colorism and racism, cultural assimilation, societal impacts, and more. Led by Diandra Macias, program coordinator for student engagement at New York Tech.

Moving from Diversity and Access to Equity and Inclusion
February 23
12:30pm-2:00pm
Zoom ID: 922 9767 2000
Join speaker Shane Lloyd, inclusion and engagement Leader at Amazon, in a discussion about access, equity, and inclusion and how diversity does not automatically create this atmosphere. Learn how individuals can make their spaces more accessible, equitable, and inclusive.

Race, Medicine, and COVID-19
February 25
12:30 – 2 p.m.
Zoom ID: 977 7949 0741
Coronavirus has disproportionately affected Black and Latinx communities across the United States. However, advocacy for these communities to be among the first group vaccinated has been met with hesitancy and suspicion due to past issues of racism, exploitation, and malpractice, such as with the Tuskegee Institute experiments. Join New York Tech’s Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Equity and Inclusion, Brian Harper, M.D., M.P.H.; Jedan Phillips M.D., associate dean for minority student affairs at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University; and Michele Reed, D.O. FAAFP, at MS Family Medicine Healthcare P.C., as they discusses the nuances of race pertaining to COVID-19 and the vaccines currently in distribution.