2/2/00

Glennis Curry/David M. Granger

GIOVANNI HIGHLIGHTS AU CELEBRATION OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH

AUBURN -- Auburn University will celebrate Black History Month during February with art, music, theatre, trivia and more.

The university's main celebration is will be Feb. 17 when poet and best-selling author Nikki Giovanni speaks at 6 p.m. in the AU Hotel and Dixon Conference Center auditorium.

Giovanni, whose presentation is titled "Diversity is Art: Art is Diversity," has written nearly 20 books of poetry and essays since coming to the fore of the black arts movement that paralleled the civil rights struggle of the 1960s.

Her latest book, Racism 101, includes controversial essays about the situations of Americans on all sides of the race issue.

Giovanni has been named "Woman of the Year" by three different magazines and was presented the Langston Hughes Award in 1997. Since 1987, she has taught writing, poetry and literature at Virginia Tech as part of the Commonwealth Visiting Professor program.

"Nikki Giovanni's perspective on black history is threefold," said Daryl Hale, assistant director of multicultural affairs. "She can view the subject as a black, as a woman and as an artist.

"We very much look forward to having her here at Auburn and think that she will prove a motivator to all Auburn students, but particularly to our growing black student population."

Other events set for Auburn's celebration of Black History Month in February include:

** "The Lonely Eagles: The Tuskegee Airmen meet Josephine Baker," a play set for Feb. 13 at 7 p.m., in James E. Foy Student Union, Room 258, sponsored by the AU Elderhostel, AU University Outreach and the Office of Multcultural Affairs;

** Sessions on Akbar storytelling and folklore and folk-art story telling, set for Feb. 15 in Goodwin Hall. The Akbar session begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Goodwin recital hall and the folk-art session at 7 p.m. in 105 Goodwin. Sponsors are Multicultural Affairs and AU Elderhostel;

** "Spanning the Racial Divide: Horace King, Bridge Builder," a presentation set for Feb. 15 at 4:30 p.m., in Goodwin 105 and sponsored by AU Elderhostel and the Alabama Humanities Foundation;

** "The Long Walk Home," sponsored by UPC for Feb. 15 at 2 p.m., in Langdon Hall;

** A concert by the Auburn University Gospel Choir on Feb. 15 at 6:30 p.m., in the Goodwin Recital Hall sponsored by Multicultural Affairs;

** "Tracking Hate Groups and Teaching Tolerance," a presentation by the Southern Poverty Law Center on Feb. 17 at 11 a.m., Goodwin, Room 105, and sponsored by AU Elderhostel and the SPLC;

** A concert featuring the Five Blind Boys of Alabama and the AU Gospel Choir on Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m., Student Act Center. Sponsored by Multicultural Affairs;

** AU African American Mentoring Program's winter semiformal dance, Feb. 19, 8 p.m., Foy Union Ballroom. The dance will feature a jazz and blues band and admission is $3;

** "Educating African-American Librarians," a presentation by Arthur Gunn, dean of Clark Atlanta University's School of Library and Information Sciences, Feb. 22, at 3 p.m., on the ground floor of Ralph Brown Draughon Library. Sponsored by Auburn University Libraries;

** A forum on current students' perspectives of AU, Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m., AU Pharmacy Auditorium, sponsored by Multicultural Affairs; and

** "Black Trivia Knowledge Bowl," Feb. 29, 6 p.m., Foy Union, Room 217, sponsored by Multicultural Affairs.

For more information on Black History Month activities and multicultural student opportunities at Auburn, call 334/844-4184.

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CONTACT: Hale, 334/844-4184.