CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW)- Austin Peay State University’s  Wilbur N. Daniel African-American Cultural Center (WNDAACC) kicked off Black History Month for students, faculty, and staff on Monday, Feb. 3 with a special luncheon and conversation about the many activities planned on campus for students and the community.

Attendees enjoyed Dickie’s Barbecue and held conversation of all that was to come during the month and covered topics such as voting, professional development, social and cultural events and more.

“We brought together the Black History Task Force to get all agencies that serve African-American students together so can collaborate,” said Harold Wallace III, Director of the WNDAACC. “We wanted to make sure we gave full attention to what’s going on during Black History Month.”

There are approximately 30 events planned on APSU’s campus during the month of February to commemorate Black History Month.

The community is invited to several of the events including:

  • Tango: African American Diasporic Dance event:   a collaborative event with the APSU African American Studies Department and the Hispanic Cultural Center, designed to create awareness and educate the campus about the African Diaspora/ Slave Trade and the influence of African Culture within Hispanic Culture and Dance.

It will be held Tuesday, Feb. 11, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.,  at the Wilbur N. Daniel African American Cultural Center, Austin Peay State University.

  • Modern Day Slavery Forum, a collaborative event with APSU African American Studies Department to create a dialogue around the existence of modern-day slavery in today’s world, from the music industry to sports, to the blue-collar work population.

It will be held Thursday, Feb. 20,  from  11 a.m. – 2 p.m.,  at the Wilbur N. Daniel African American Cultural Center, Austin Peay State University.

  • Night of Melanin Magic, a collaborative event with the APSU Dance department. The event is an opportunity to see the artistic interpretation of being Black in American, a celebration of Melanin and the talents black people share. The event will be filled with Dance, Song, Poetry, and other forms of Art.

It will be held on Monday, Feb. 24th, at the APSU Clement Auditorium from 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.

“It’s important to celebrate diversity, but being in American it’s super important to understand the role we played in it,” Wallace said. “If we only have February we will take full advantage of it.”

For more events in the community commemorating Black History Month click here.