Black History Celebration events planned

Randolph College is celebrating Black History Month with a wide array of activities,ranging from lectures, music performances, and stage plays to spiritual sessions, dances and poetry readings. Events start January 18 and run through March 28.

The celebration started Jan. 21 with the College’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Service, which featured keynote speaker Khalilah L. Brown-Dean.

The lecture is followed by the theatrical performance of Climbing the Mountain Top When There’s Nothing Left to Walk, a play written by national author Dee Brown, Jan. 31 in Smith Hall Theatre at 7:30 p.m.  General admission is $10, and free for Randolph students with ID.

On Feb. 4, historical actor and consultant James Cameron will deliver a monologue performance portraying John Rollison, a, 18th-century black entrepreneur and landowner, at 12:50 p.m. in the Student Center.

The celebration ends March 28 with The Quincy Armstrong Show, a play written and directed by Teresa Harris ‘80, Randolph College’s program coordinator of student success, and Linda Keith, a member of the Black Theatre Ensemble in Lynchburg. The play starts at 7:30 p.m. in Smith Hall Theatre. General admission is $10, and free for Randolph students with ID.

Other events include:

• Gospel Extravaganza: A night of dance, song, worship, and praise that recognizes the significant role of gospel music in the history and daily lives of Black Americans. Feb. 21, 6 p.m., Houston Memorial Chapel.
• Mellotones Steel Drum Band: The band will play in Cheatham Dining Hall on Feb. 22, 11 a.m. — 1:30 p.m. Cost: $7.95, which includes buffet style brunch.
• Flavor Series: a student production by Randolph College Heritage Ensemble that features pan-African poetry and prose enhanced by music, movement, and theatrics. March 18, 20, and 21, Thoresen Theatre, 7:30 p.m.

All events are free, unless otherwise noted.