COLUMBUS, Ind. — Leaders from the African American Pastors Alliance, the Columbus/Bartholomew County Area chapter of the NAACP, the African American Fund and the local chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice have organized a mix of virtual programs and events for February during Black History Month.
“This is a collaborative effort,” said Johnnie Edwards, president of the NAACP chapter and a member of the pastors alliance.
Here is the list:
Now through Feb. 21: Silent Auction of African American Artists’ Art: Via the Facebook page for NAACP Silent Art Auction. People can place a bid in the comments section with name of the artist and piece, according to organizers.
7 to 8 p.m. Feb. 15: When Should We Be Anti-Racists? The Time is Now. Educational awareness discussion on anti-racism with A’ame Joslin of IUPUC, Kevin Jones, and John McCann. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/…/reg…/WN_WzVIIKQoSQ-zuJYAzGk22Q
2 to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 19: Panel Discussion with Law Enforcement: This will include Columbus Police Chief Michael Richardson.
6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 20: My Black Experience in Columbus: Local Black residents talk about their experience as a minority. Pastors Alliance member Frank Griffin mentioned that “we also want them to bring some solutions and some creative ideas to solve problems. We’ll document these, and we’re excited about this input.” A link will provided later.
Feb. 21 with a time to be determined: Build Black: Building Generational Wealth panel discussion, focusing especially on building bridges to make sure Black entrepreneurs have the same access to money to launch businesses as whites. A link will be provided later.
Noon to 1 p.m. Feb. 22: Can We Solve the Digital Divide? The Time Is Now. Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fRvC0tBnS_Omso4ISoIgVA
6 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22: Black History in Columbus Over the Last 40-Plus Years: A discussion with Bishop Charles A. Sims, retired Cummins Inc. executive Donald Trapp and Brenda Pitts, also a retired Cummins executive who frequently has discussed local Black history. “Each one of them has been extremely successful and has contributed quite a bit to this community,” Griffin said. “ … Sometimes we forget our history.” A link will be provided later.
Feb. 24 with times to be determined: Race: The Power of An Illusion (three videos), presented in conjunction with the Bartholomew County Public Library. Information: mybcpl.org
Feb. 28: Family Family Feud (Black History Edition): Featuring a couple of local families in a good-natured game-show competition. Time and link to be determined.
