Houston's Pioneering Black Physicians
A new online exhibit details the history of African American physicians in Houston. The site, www.history.uh.edu/cph/tobearfruit/, features video, audio, interviews and narratives on such medical pioneers as Franklin Robey, Edith Irby Jones and astronaut Bernard Harris. The site also features middle and high school lesson plans. Kathleen Brosnan, with the UH Center for Public History, can be reached at 713-743-3102 or kbrosnan@uh.edu.
Cowboys
The black cowboy has been a symbol of strength, determination and mystery. Demetrius Pearson, associate professor with the UH Department of Health and Human Performance, has written extensively on the history and culture of the black cowboy and his influence on American culture. Reach him at 713-743-9849 or dpearson@uh.edu.
African Americans in the Mexican Revolution
The role African Americans played in the Mexican revolution was significant and represents a new arena of study for historians. Gerald Horne, adjunct professor in UH African American Studies, has written extensively about black soldiers who fought side by side with their Mexican counterparts. Reach him at 713-743-2811 or ghorne@mail.uh.edu
All the World's a Stage
Whether it's on stage or on the page, African American women writers have played a crucial role in documenting and communicating black history. Elizabeth Brown-Guillory, professor of English, has written several books on prolific African American female playwrights and authors. To discuss African American literature, drama, authors or playwrights with Brown-Guillory, contact her at 713-743-2976 or ebrown-guillory@uh.edu.
Visual Art During the Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a pivotal period in black history. Caroline Goeser, assistant professor of art, can address the artwork that defined this era. She conducts a course at UH about this topic and authored the book "Making Black Modern in Harlem Renaissance Print Culture." She can be reached at 713-743-3218 or cgoeser@uh.edu.
Civil Rights and Race Relations
The term "race relations" has its history in the turbulence of the 1960s and ‘70s, but, today, takes on a more diplomatic tack, according to UH history professor Tyrone Tillery. The one-time executive secretary to the Detroit NAACP is a sought-after consultant on political movements and race relations. Reach him at 713-743-3097 or ttillery@mail.uh.edu
Other Black History Month Events
- Feb. 1, noon - 2 p.m., Room 633 Agnes Arnold Hall: Filmmaker Charles Burnett is considered one of the nation's greatest African-American filmmakers. He will discuss "Killer of Sheep," a film from the mid-1970s, which chronicles the Los Angeles ghetto of Watts. The film was selected by the National Society of Film Critics as "one of the 100 essential films of all time."
- Feb. 2, 6 p.m., Cullen Performance Hall, Screening of "Prince Among Slaves," the 2007 American Black Film Festival Best Documentary Award winner. The film details the inspiring story of Abdul-Rahman Ibrahima Sori, a West African prince who was captured and sold into slavery.
- Feb. 25, 4 - 7 p.m., Rockwell Pavilion: Filmmaker M.K. Asante Jr., who, at 25, is called by the Philadelphia Inquirer "a rare, remarkable talent that brings to mind the great artists of the Harlem Renaissance." Asante will give a lecture/screening titled, "Artivism: By Any Medium Necessary"