Baylor University Celebrates Black History Month

January 29, 2019

View More Photos

A dedication of a bronze bust of Vivienne Malone-Mayes, Ph.D., the first full-time African American professor hired at Baylor University, will be unveiled by the department of mathematics on Feb. 26.

DC Film — Baylor University will sponsor a special conference in Washington, D.C., during Black History Month that brings together educators, filmmakers, theologians and policymakers to explore ways that film and culture can spark important discussions about race and justice.

The annual Pruit Symposium, 'Lord, Make Me An Instrument: Black Sacred Music at the Intersection of Gospel and Jazz,'?' will feature two events - a lecture and Gospel Sing on Feb. 7, featuring Melvin Butler, Ph.D., associate professor at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami.

The annual Pruit Symposium, 'Lord, Make Me An Instrument: Black Sacred Music at the Intersection of Gospel and Jazz,'?' will feature Melvin Butler, Ph.D., associate professor at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, who will speak on "Getting in Tune: Gospel Music, Instrumentality, and Embodiment."

Doris Miller History Lecture — T. Michael Parrish, Ph.D., The Linden G. Bowers Professor of American History in Baylor's College of Arts & Sciences and author of the new book 'Doris Miller, Pearl Harbor and the Birth of the Civil Rights Movement,'?' will give The Texas Collection Spring Lecture on the life and legacy of native Wacoan and Navy Cross recipient Doris Miller.

American Prophet Lecture — Clayborne Carson, Ph.D., professor of American history and director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University, will present the department of history's annual Black History Month Lecture on 'American Prophet: The Inner Life and Global Vision of Martin Luther King Jr.'?' from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Feb. 21 in Kayser Auditorium in the Hankamer Academic Building.

Media Contact: Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-1961
Follow us on Twitter: @BaylorUMedia
by Gabrielle White, student newswriter, Baylor University Media and Public Relations
WACO, Texas (Jan. 29, 2019) – Baylor University will host a variety of events throughout the month of February in honor of Black History Month.
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of blacks in U.S. history. Baylor joins the country and other nations, including Canada and the United Kingdom, in celebrating this month with events that embrace history, enrich knowledge and encourage communities to celebrate the diversity within the Baylor family.

Additional events can be found on the department of multicultural affairs website.

FRIDAY and SATURDAY, Feb. 1-2

“A Long Long Way: Film, Race and Policing” Conference - Baylor University will sponsor a special conference in Washington, D.C., during Black History Month that brings together educators, filmmakers, theologians and policymakers to explore ways that film and culture can spark important discussions about race and justice. The conference, “A Long Long Way: Film, Race and Policing,” will be held Feb. 1-2, 2019, at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached his last sermon before his death. Through public film screenings of Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” and the Academy Award-nominated “BlacKkKlansman” in the Cathedral nave, panel discussions and a workshop, the conference will take a deeper look at race, prejudice and policing. For more information, click here.

MONDAY, Feb. 4

Movie Mondays - Movie Mondays will host a screening of “King in the Wilderness,” a film highlighting the final chapters of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, revealing a conflicted leader who faced an onslaught of criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. Hosted by the Baylor department of history and Baylor Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society, the screening will be held at 7 p.m. at the Waco Hippodrome, 724 Austin Ave. Free tickets can be picked up at the Bill Daniel Student Center ticket office or online.

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 6

Inclusion and Diversity 101: Building an Inclusive Workplace Community - Hosted by Baylor Human Resources, this workshop will be held from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Human Resources Suite 200 at Clifton Robinson Tower, 700 S. University Parks Drive, and will lay a framework for participants to become more confident and better equipped to create a respectful and inclusive workplace consistent with the University’s Christian mission. Reservations can be made through Baylor Compass. For more information, click here .

THURSDAY, Feb. 7

Pruit Symposium Lecture - This year’s annual Pruit Symposium, “Lord, Make Me An Instrument: Black Sacred Music at the Intersection of Gospel and Jazz,” will feature Melvin Butler, Ph.D., associate professor at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, who will speak on "Getting in Tune: Gospel Music, Instrumentality and Embodiment" at 3:30 p.m. in Armstrong Browning Library, 710 Speight Ave. Hosted by Baylor Libraries, the event is free and open to the public. For more information about the Pruit Symposium, click here.

Pruit Symposium Gospel Sing - This year’s annual Pruit Symposium, “Lord, Make Me An Instrument: Black Sacred Music at the Intersection of Gospel and Jazz,” will hold a Gospel Sing event at 6:30 p.m. at Toliver Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, 1402 Elm Ave. The event will feature Melvin Butler, Ph.D., associate professor at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, who will be accompanied by Horace J. Maxile Jr., Ph.D., associate professor of music theory in the Baylor School of Music and keyboardist and men’s choir director at Toliver Chapel Baptist Church, and other musical guests. For more information about the Pruit Symposium, click here.

Spoken Word Night - Spoken Word Night, hosted by the Baylor chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, will be held at 8 p.m. in Barfield Drawing Room in the Bill Daniel Student Center, 1311 S. Fifth St.

MONDAY, Feb. 18

Movie Mondays - Movie Mondays will host a screening of “Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland,” a documentary highlighting an investigation into what happened to political activist Sandra Bland, who passed away during police custody. Hosted by the department of multicultural affairs and the Black Student Coalition, the screening will be at 7 p.m. at the Waco Hippodrome, 724 Austin Ave. Free tickets can be picked up at the Bill Daniel Student Center ticket office or Free tickets can be picked up at the Bill Daniel Student Center ticket office or online.

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20

If You’re Breathing, You’re Biased Workshop - Hosted by Baylor Human Resources, this workshop defining bias, identifying personal and potential biases and considering the effects of biases in the workplace will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Human Resources Suite 200 at Clifton Robinson Tower, 700 S. University Parks Drive. Reservations can be made through Baylor Compass. For more information, click here .

Texas Collection Spring Lecture: “On Changing Tides: Doris Miller, Pearl Harbor and the Civil Rights Movement” by Dr. T. Michael Parrish - The Texas Collection Spring Lecture will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. in Foster 250 at the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation, 1621 S Third St. on the Baylor campus. T. Michael Parrish, Ph.D., The Linden G. Bowers Professor of American History in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences and author of the new book “Doris Miller, Pearl Harbor and the Birth of the Civil Rights Movement,” will speak on the life and legacy of Miller. A native Wacoan who served in a segregated military during World War II, Miller was the first African American to receive the Navy Cross, the U.S. military’s third-highest decoration at the time awarded for valor in combat, for his actions at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Hosted by Baylor University Libraries, the lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.

THURSDAY, Feb. 21

Black History Month Lecture: “American Prophet: The Inner Life and Global Vision of Martin Luther King Jr.” - Clayborne Carson, Ph.D., professor of American history and director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University, will present “American Prophet: The Inner Life and Global Vision of Martin Luther King Jr.” from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Kayser Auditorium in the Hankamer Academic Building, 401 Speight Ave. Hosted by the department of history in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences, the lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.

MONDAY, Feb. 25

Movie Mondays - Movie Mondays will host a screening of “The Wiz,” a reimagined “The Wizard of Oz” from 1978 featuring an all-black cast. Hosted by the department of multicultural affairs and the Black Student Coalition, the screening will be held at 7 p.m. at the Waco Hippodrome, 724 Austin Ave. Free tickets can be picked up at the Bill Daniel Student Center ticket office or online.

TUESDAY, Feb. 26

Dr. Vivienne Malone-Mayes Dedication - A dedication of a bronze bust of Vivienne Malone-Mayes, Ph.D., the first full-time African American professor hired at Baylor University, will be unveiled by the department of mathematics at 3:30 p.m. in the third-floor lobby of the Sid Richardson Building, 1416 S. Third St. Malone-Mayes began teaching at Baylor in 1966, and by 1971, was named Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year by Baylor Student Congress. She retired in 1994, due to ill health, and passed away on June 9, 1995, at age 63. Learn more about Dr. Vivienne Malone-Mayes in this Spring 2018 Baylor Magazine article.

THURSDAY, Feb. 28

Black Heritage Banquet - The annual Black Heritage Banquet, hosted by the Black Student Union in conjunction with the department of multicultural affairs, will be held at 7 p.m. on the fifth floor of the Cashion Academic Center, 401 Speight Ave. Tickets are available for purchase at the Bill Daniel Student Center Ticket Office. For more information, please contact Geoffrey_Griggs@baylor.edu.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.