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POWELL, Wyoming — Northwest College invites the public to celebrate Black History Month through a variety of events hosted through February in the college’s Intercultural House at 565 College Drive.
The lineup starts with a Tuesday, Feb. 2, screening of “The Great Debaters,” a 2007 movie starring Denzel Washington based on a true story about a college debate team’s struggles in the 1930s during the Jim Crow days of the American South.
The movie will be shown at 5:30 p.m. and followed by a discussion led by the NWC Forensics Team.
A jazz and gospel brunch is scheduled at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 7. Participants will be invited to enjoy a brunch buffet while listening to a hand-picked playlist featuring traditional jazz and gospel music.
The Harlem Renaissance and Langston Hughes are highlighted in an informational program at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11. This look at the history of the cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem, New York, during the 1920s, will include readings of Hughes’ poetry.
The month-long celebration wraps up Wednesday, Feb. 24, with a Night of Mancala, one of the oldest games of human civilization. Originating in Africa and the Fertile Crescent, Mancala is played on a board with cups in front of each player. Players take turns “planting” and “harvesting” game chips, sometimes called seeds, and placing them in their “granary.”
Participants will hear a brief history of the game and learn to play. Because Mancala is easy to learn but can employ highly complex strategies, it’s suitable for both young and old. The program begins at 6 p.m.
In addition to these programs sponsored by the NWC Office of Intercultural Programs, the college’s celebration of Black History Month also includes a Powell Valley Community Education event called “The Black 14 — Color Did Matter.” It begins at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15, in the Yellowstone Building Conference Center.
Hosted by Dave Sauceda, the program looks at the 1960s University of Wyoming football team, which earned headlines for its wins on the field and its Black 14 controversy off the field. It includes a screening of the University of Wyoming Television documentary “The Black 14,” followed by comments via Skype from former newspaper reporter Phil White.
Admission is free to all events in NWC’s celebration of Black History Month.