BHM@Tübingen - Black History Month at ZGD
"February is Black History Month!"
Black History Month originated in the US, where it was introduced by Carter G. Woodson in 1926. Since the 1990s Black History Month is also celebrated in Germany. Since its inception, Black History Month has been dedicated to honoring the diverse history and achievements of Black people. Meanwhile, Black History Month is also intended to raise awareness of the fact that experiences of racism and discrimination are no relics of the past. In the words of Lonnie Bunch, founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture: “Woodson's creation is as much about today as it is about the past. Experiencing Black History Month every year reminds us that history is not dead or distant from our lives."
This year, the Center for Gender and Diversity Research would also like to actively participate in Black History Month with a series of events and activities. These events are being organized by teachers and students from the Department of History, the English Department (section "African Literary and Cultural Studies"), and the Methods Center at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences.
At the end of the lecture period we would like to cordially invite you to the following events:
07 February 2025: Black History in Tübingen
What are the histories of Black people that we can find in Tübingen’s archives? Where do find omissions? And how are these histories presented to us in the archives? History students went to three different archives to look for Black history in the region. They visited the city archive, the university archive, and the archive of everyday culture at the Ludwig Uhland Institute for Empirical Cultural Studies. As part of the public events for Black History Month, they will present their findings in a panel discussion. Two of the creators of Black History in Baden Württemberg will discuss the results of the archival research with the students and the audience.
Where: Room 223, Center for Islamic Theology (Liebermeisterstr. 18)
When: 07 February 2025, 10am-12pm
The results will also be presented in a small poster exhibition on Ammerbrücke at the University Library from 10 February.
7-9 February 2025: Drawing Lines: The Fight for Equal Rights
The student theatre project “Drawing Lines” is a joint event by students of Social Sciences from the Method Center at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences and students of African Literary and Cultural Studies at the English Department.
The event showcases some of the prominent voices that collectively fought for democracy in the United States in the early 20th century. Performances will be drawn from the work of the following activists: civil rights activist W.E.B DuBois; and women's rights activists Ida Wells-Barnett, Jane Addams and Florence Kelley.
This theatre project shows that even if their activism – such as the fight for equal voting rights – was different from contemporary issues around racism and sexism, we can see how problems of social justice remain similar then and now.
Part of the stage play will be a short performance of the famous speech “Ain’t I a Woman?” by Sojourner Truth, a contemporary of the abovementioned activists. Also, the poem “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou will feature the play.
Where: Fichtehaus (Herrenbergerstrasse 40)
When: 7, 8 & 9 February, 7pm
Entry is free. Performances of “Ain’t I a Woman” and “Still I Rise” will be in English and the rest in German. Before the performances, background information will be given so no previous knowledge is required.