February is Black History Month, and we are thrilled to share a number of initiatives and opportunities that took place across campus and on social media over the past several weeks in recognition of this important celebration:
In early February, risd.edu featured a Five Questions interview series with members of RISD’s full-time faculty who joined the community in fall 2021 as part of the College’s “Race in Art & Design” cluster hire initiative. Through their work, these faculty members focus on race, colonization, decolonization, post-coloniality, cultural representation, and material practices of resistance.
RISD Dining celebrated Black History through Food Culture on Instagram @RISDDining, where they have an archive of information and events available on their page in the BHM2022 Highlights section. The highlights include facts, history, and details related to a number of pop-up events featuring cuisine from local, Black-owned businesses.
RISD Residence Life hosted a BHM Book Club and Black Innovators Trivia on their Instagram stories @RISDResLife, with featured book selections including Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward, Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, Memorial by Bryan Washington, and The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones. Featured trivia included information about Garrett Morgan (three-way stop light), Marie Van Brittan Brown (modern home security system), and Dr. Patricia Bath (laser cataract machine).
RISD’s Office of Intercultural Student Engagement (ISE) issued a call for submissions for their Black History Month Art Collection, which will feature artwork that expresses aspects of Black Culture, and will be shared on their website and social media pages.
RISD ISE also held virtual screenings of “Truth Tellers”—a documentary that dives into the lives of courageous Americans fighting for racial justice, climate change, and Indigenous rights through the eyes of artist Robert Shetterly.
Leading into this month, RISD hosted its 2022 MLK Series Keynote Address by Eddie Glaude Jr.
We recognize that there are likely many more events and opportunities that took place over the last several weeks, and would like to acknowledge and thank all teams and departments for putting together this meaningful programming for our community!