SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — SUNY Schenectady will hold a Black History Month Luncheon on February 19 from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. The soul food menu pairs perfectly with a presentation from Antony Zokou Silvere, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, and native of Cote d’Ivoire. Tickets are $10 for students and $18 for general admission.

Besides the luncheon, SUNY Schenectady also offers a full calendar of free events on campus at Elston Hall in honor of Black History Month.

  • Black History Opening Ceremony
    Speaker: Nikita Hardy, Schenectady County Affirmative Action Manager
    February 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Club Carnival Spirit Day
    February 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Students and the Vote
    Topic: The importance of voting from the students’ perspective
    Organizers: Club ALANA and the Inter-Cultural Committee
    February 6 from noon to 1:15 p.m.
  • Circle of Music
    Topic: History of soul music, then and now
    Presenter: Dr. DeShawn McGarrity, Schenectady College and Career Outreach Center Executive Director
    February 10 from noon to 1 p.m.
  • Civic Engagement
    Topic: The importance of being involved in the political process
    Presenter: Marsha Mortimore, local historian
    February 12 from noon to 1 p.m.
  • Let’s Get Involved
    Topic: Community working together
    February 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
    Presenters: Thearse McCalmon, educator and 2018 Schenectady mayoral candidate, and Omar Sterling McGill, New York State Senate Journal Clerk, Schenectady County Human Rights Commission Vice-Chairman, and NAACP Schenectady Second Vice President
  • Unheard No More: Power Through Action
    Topic: New York human rights law, local social justice concerns, prominent human and civil rights issues in our community, and how being engaged impacts change
    February 20 from noon to 1 p.m.
    Presenter: Angelicia A. Morris, Schenectady County Human Rights Commission Executive Director
  • The History of Black Wall Street
    February 26, noon to 1 p.m.
    Presenter: David Craft, Albany Law Clinic and Justice Center Community Development Clinic Fellow/Staff Attorney