Joy DeGruy

Joy DeGruy, internationally renowned author and speaker, is the keynote speaker for Stony Brook’s Black History Month Opening Program on Wednesday, February 3, from 12:40 pm to 2:10 pm in the Student Activities Center Auditorium. The Black History Month Committee, the Department of Africana Studies, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs are coordinating this major campus program.

Many of the programs scheduled to take place during Black History Month will reflect this year’s theme, “The Dream in the 21st Century: Fulfilled or Deferred?” The concept of Sankofa is derived from a West African word that transliterated means “it is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot.” In the context of Black History Month, Sankofa suggests that we cannot ignore the lessons of our past if America is to become a stronger, more inclusive nation. The question “Where Do We Go From Here?” is intended to challenge us to think and act both individually and collectively as we plan to further improve the conditions of our campus, local communities, nation, and the world.

Click here for a schedule of 2010 Black History Month events.

Black History Month is celebrated throughout the United States in the month of February. Stony Brook’s annual observance of Black History Month, coordinated by the Black History Month Planning Committee, includes panels, symposia, and lectures, as well as cultural and social events.