UIS to mark Black History Month with events celebrating the theme “Speak Up, Speak Out”

The University of Illinois Springfield will celebrate Black History Month in February with a variety of events designed to educate and raise awareness. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Speak Up, Speak Out.” The following events are free and open to the public or are open to Lincoln Land Community College students, as noted in each individual event entry below.

Thursday, February 1 
Candle Light Vigil 
Students and community members are invited to participate in a Candle Light Vigil honoring the life of anyone who they have lost. Participants are encouraged to light a candle and say a few remarks for that special person. The vigil will start at 10 a.m. in the UIS Student Union. This event is free and open to the public.

Sunday, February 11 
Black Male Collegiate Society Induction Ceremony 
Join UIS as we celebrate the accomplishments of those being inducted into the Black Male Collegiate Society. Hear from various Black Male Collegiate Society members and newly inducted members on their journey from maleness to manhood. This event is from 2 to 6 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. This event is free and open to the public.

Wednesday, February 14 
Movie Night & Discussion 
Enjoy a movie on the topic of Black Love and stay for a discussion. Lincoln Land Community College students are welcome to attend. This event will be held in the Lincoln Residence Hall Great Room from 7 to 9 p.m.

Friday, February 16 
High School-College Mixer “Sourcing the River” 
Local high school students (juniors and seniors) are invited to partake in a campus visit where they will have a chance to interact, learn and socialize with many current African American student leaders at UIS. There will be a chance to learn more about the importance of Greek Life and witness a special presentation. This event will be held in the Student Union Ballroom from 4 to 6 p.m. This event is open to local high school students.

Sunday, February 18 
Soul Food Festival & Fashion Show 
The Soul Food Festival will serve to educate, entertain, and unite students. In addition to the great soul food, there will be a fashion show for participants to enjoy with small dance performances throughout. Food will be catered by Nickey’s Place. This event will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Public Affairs Center, lower level concourse. This event is free and open to the public.

Saturday, February 24
Ebony Ball 
The Ebony Ball is a chance to appreciate and celebrate the black excellence of our current student leaders. The evening will be filled with education, laughter and positivity. The event is open to all students who believe in leadership and unity. Please take the time to increase the value of our student leaders by rooting them on in celebration this evening. Dress attire is business casual. This year’s theme is “The Harlem Renaissance.” This event will take place in the Student Union Ballroom from 8 p.m. to midnight. Lincoln Land Community College students are welcomed to attend.

Sunday, February 25 
Voices in Praise Concert 
Put on your Sunday’s best and enjoy an evening of praise and worship brought to you by UIS’ Voices in Praise & Epic Praise student club, accompanied by Clifton Jones. This event will take place starting at 6 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library. This event is free and open to the public.

For more information on Black History Month events, visit the UIS Diversity Center website at www.uis.edu/diversitycenter/ or contact Justin Rose, Diversity Center student program advisor, at 217/206-6333 or jrose22@uis.edu.

UIS Diversity Center and Lincoln Home National Historic Site host a screening of the film "An Outrage"

The University of Illinois Springfield Diversity Center and the Lincoln Home National Historic Site invite the public to attend a screening of the film "An Outrage," a new documentary film about lynching, on Thursday, October 26, 2017, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Brookens Auditorium on the campus of the University of Illinois Springfield. The screening and discussion is free and open to the public; doors will open at 3:30 p.m.

The film, produced by the Richmond, Virginia-based independent filmmakers of Field Studio, had its world premiere at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. in March, and will be distributed by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance project to nearly 500,000 teachers—and their millions of students—across the United States starting this fall.

In April, at the Indie Grits Film Festival in Columbia, South Carolina, "An Outrage" received the Audience Award, marking it as the favorite among more than 80 films in competition. In August, the film was awarded Best Documentary Short at the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival in Vermont.

"An Outrage" was filmed at lynching sites in six states – Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee and Virginia – with descendants of victims, community activists, and historians. The film highlights the oft-hidden history of lynching and its resonance today. Jonathan Holloway, Provost of Northwestern University and an historian of the Jim Crow era, notes in the film, “I promise you, once you start taking in the ‘unofficial histories,’ the official history doesn’t look quite so accurate anymore.”

The film is directed, edited, and produced by Hannah Ayers and Lance Warren, co-directors of Field Studio, who seek to make the film a hub for action. “Our principal goal,” notes Warren, “is to spur needed conversations that lead to real change, so the film conveys powerful stories and vital history in short form.” Ayers and Warren are currently on a 20-state tour of the film.

The filmmakers note that the film’s content is particularly timely in light of the national debate about the display of Confederate flags and monuments honoring Confederate leaders and the white supremacist violence in Charleston, Charlottesville, and elsewhere. “An Outrage reveals the long, unbroken tradition of white supremacy in America—as expressed by extremist organizers as well as community complacency—and how its history echoes for the families of the thousands of victims of racial terror,” Ayers says. Warren adds: “We hope the film demonstrates why people of conscience, from all political backgrounds, must resist ongoing injustice, threats, and violence motivated by hatred over ideas about race.”

"An Outrage" includes interviews filmed in an artistic style uncommon for historical documentaries. The interviews include Holloway; two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Isabel Wilkerson (author of The Warmth of Other Suns); Mia Bay, Rutgers University historian and Ida B. Wells biographer; and Yohuru Williams, historian and University of St. Thomas Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

"An Outrage" will be available for free to teachers starting this fall through the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance project, an anti-bias education program with a network of nearly 500,000 teachers across the United States. The film has a 33-minute run time designed for use in classrooms and community forums. Teaching Tolerance is also developing curriculum to use with the film.

Anyone wishing to obtain further information regarding the screening of the film "An Outrage" is welcome to contact Lincoln Home National Historic Site at 217-391-3241 or the University of Illinois Springfield Diversity Center at 217-206-6333.

UIS town hall meeting to explore the implications of President Trump’s executive order on immigration

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield will host a town hall meeting exploring the implication of President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration and refugees. The event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Tuesday, February 7, 2017, from 5 to 6 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Public Affairs Center, Sangamon Auditorium Lobby

DETAILS: This town hall meeting will offer an opportunity for students and community members to learn more about how Trump’s recent executive order on immigration and refugees may affect themselves, their friends, and/or their families. Individual legal advice will not be given, but audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Panelists will include Anette Sikka, UIS assistant professor of legal studies; Deborah Anthony, UIS associate professor of legal studies; Lauren Myerscough-Mueller; UIS Illinois Innocence Project staff attorney; and Jonathan GoldbergBelle, UIS director of International Programs.

The event is sponsored by the UIS Diversity Center, Legal Studies Department and the Division of Student Affairs.

For more information, contact Sophia Gehlhausen, UIS Diversity Center program and outreach coordinator, at 217/206-6333 or sophia@uis.edu.

UIS Speaker Series presents The Legacy Wall: LGBT History Exhibit

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series, LGBTQA Resource Office, Diversity Center, College of Public Affairs and Administration and UIS Departments of Women & Gender Studies, History and Political Science are proud to host the opening of The Legacy Wall: LGBT History Exhibit.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 5, 2016, at 7 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Public Affairs Center Concourse

DETAILS: The Legacy Wall is a one-of-a-kind traveling exhibit filled with photographs and biographies of 125 LGBT people well-known in the realms of politics, the arts, religion, sports and social activism. The project pays tribute to the contributions of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender individuals throughout history. The wall is designed to share the often-hidden LGBT lives to foster a culture of respect and appreciation for diversity.

Founder and Executive Director of The Legacy Project, Victor Salvo, is a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign alumnus, who has also been inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. UIS Assistant Professor of History Holly Kent and Political Science Professor Jason Pierceson will help kick-off the celebration.

The opening celebration for the exhibit also kicks off a month of LGBT activities honoring Queertober. Find out more about these activities at www.uis.edu/lgbtqa/programs/queertober.

The Legacy Wall will be on display from October 3-15 in the PAC Concourse.

For a list of other upcoming ECCE Speaker Series events and more information, visit www.uis.edu/speakerseries/. All events are free and open to the public.