Throughout February, Grossmont and Cuyamaca Colleges in El Cajon hold workshops, musical performances, literary readings, and an art exhibit to celebrate Black History Month.
Free online and in-person community events honor the heritage, traditions and contributions of Black Americans.
Cuyamaca College events can be accessed on the Student Affairs website at cuyamaca.edu/student-support/student-affairs/culture-community-circle.php.
Grossmont College’s in-person events will only be open to the campus community due to COVID-19 protocols, but will be available to everyone via live stream on the Grossmont College YouTube channel or at tinyurl.com/mtkpx588.
Here is the schedule of events at each of the community colleges:
Cuyamaca College
- The Sounds of Blackness: College Hour Program, presented by Kendrick Dial and Brisa Lauren, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on February 9 with Lyrical Grove, an award-winning local soul, gospel, hip-hop and spoken word group, live – broadcast from the Cuyamaca College Theatre.
- Open Mic, 2 p.m. Feb. 16 to share your work or interests.
- Barriers to Becoming a First Generation Black Student Workshop, 9:30-10:30 a.m., Feb. 17.
- In His Words: Dissecting Truth, Justice and Martin Luther King Jr. presentation, 11 a.m. to noon Feb. 23, led by Yaa Faraji, screenwriter, spoken word, poet, and author based in Los Angeles.
- Workshop on African-American Soldiers in the Philippine American War (1899-1902), 10-11 a.m. Feb. 25.
- Mental Health Stigma in the Black Community Workshop with Discussion, 12-1 p.m. Feb. 28.
Grossmont College
- Sound Bites – Rap and Hip Hop and the World series with discussion, from noon on weekdays until February 28 on the history of rap music. Sign up at tinyurl.com/myyb8ybe.
- Afro-LatinX Connection, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 17.
- African and African American Art Exhibit, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 21-25 at the Performing and Visual Arts Center‘s Hyde Gallery, by appointment only at [email protected]
- Black History Month celebration with music and food, 9-11 a.m. Feb. 22, followed by African American literature readings, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the main quad.
Visit gcccd.edu.