Beyond February: Spring Programs on the Black Experience

NEW PALTZ — SUNY New Paltz’ Department of Black Studies is sponsoring a series of events to highlight the black experience “beyond February.”

Novelist and historian: On Tuesday, March 27, novelist Allen Ballard will lead a reading and discussion relating to his latest book “Where I’m Bound,” which is a story about an escaped slave’s struggle to survive the tumult and horror of the Civil War. Though the novel is fiction, it is based on the true story of a black cavalry unit in Mississippi during the Civil War. Ballard teaches history and African American Studies at SUNY Albany, is a professor emeritus of political science from the City College of New York, and has written two non-fiction books and various articles in scholarly and popular journals.

Ballard’s visit to New Paltz will include an autograph party and reception. The event will be in Lecture Center 102, beginning at 5 p.m., and is free and open to the public. Ken Burns’ “Jazz”: Four episodes of Burns’ widely acclaimed documentary series on the history of jazz will be shown over the course of two evenings, Monday, April 2 and Thursday, April 5. The first two episodes cover the early years 1907 to 1917. The third and fourth episodes cover the period 1917 through 1929.

Both showings begin at 7:30 p.m. in Lecture Center 108. The showings are free and open to the public.

African Dance performance and workshop: Imbizo, a 10-man a’capella performing arts group, will hold a workshop and perform on Friday, April 20, in the Multi-Purpose Room in the Student Union Building beginning at 5 p.m.

The workshop portion will be led by one group member with the remainder of the group assisting the participants. Those who really do not feel that dance is their “thing” can take a turn at the drums that accompany the dance.

For more information on any of the Spring Programs on the Black Experience at New Paltz, contact the Black Studies Department at 257-2760.