You’re reading a story from Sidelines 100, a project showcasing a century of student storytelling at Middle Tennessee State University. Sidelines 100 plans to highlight 100 stories from the newspaper archives this fall and spring.
This story originally ran in the Feb. 13, 1989, edition of Sidelines. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay on top of all things Sidelines 100.
Student programming is providing over one-third of the $12,200 required to fund MTSU’s Black History Month activities February, officials said.
“This is the first time there has been an organized Black History Month and certainly the first time there’s been one of this magnitude,” Harold Smith, director of student programming, said.
Three student programming committees have combined to contribute over $4,000 for Black History Month, Smith said.
“I think it’s the responsibility of student programming to fund the Black History Month program,” Smith said. “Whether it’s $4,000 or $20,000, black students have never asked for money from student programming, so no amount is too much.”
The Special Events Committee purchased several African films for the African Heritage Week at a cost of $250. Ideas and Issues spent $2,700 on lecturers from Kent State, Brown University and Vanderbilt to speak during the lecture series.
An art exhibit of works by Willie Bing Davis is being sponsored by the Fine Arts Committee.
Originally, sponsorship of the art exhibit was introduced to the MTSU Art Committee, but the committee questioned the credibility of Davis’ work, Thaddeus Smith, history professor and organizer of the month’s activities said.
The professor said the committee is simply not familiar with black artists.
“I’ve seen Davis’ work in the New York art show,” the BHM organizer said.
Dr. Smith said it is important for the activities to become self-supporting and it should help alleviate black apathy on campus.
“The black community is apathetic about their culture because of non-awareness,” he said. “With programs like Black History Month, blacks can be proud of what they are and who they are.”
Other sponsors of Black History Month are: the MTSU history department, the James Leonard Fund for the Promotion of Racial Understanding, the Student Organizations and Minority Affairs Office, the United Greek Council and the Panhellenic Council.
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