ECSU Celebrates Black History Month with an Eye on Voter Rights

During the early 1960s, Elizabeth City State University students held lunch counter sit-ins and a Civil Rights march in downtown Elizabeth City. Dr. Glen Bowman will discuss the history of the sit-ins Monday, Feb. 17 in the Gilchrist Complex at 3:30 p.m.

Elizabeth City State University is celebrating Black History Month with a series of events largely focused around this year’s theme, “African Americans and the Vote.”

According to ECSU history professor, Dr. Melissa Stuckey, this year’s activities include voter rights education and voter registration. The events begin Feb. 3 and run through Feb. 7.

“We had a successful one-day voter registration drive in the fall semester and our goal is to improve on that while raising student voter registration and participation during this important election year,” said Dr. Stuckey.

Dr. Stuckey says the deadline for voter registration is Friday, Feb. 7. She said leading up to the deadline, there will be voter registration opportunities and voter education sessions across the campus, sponsored by the ECSU History Club.

“Club members will be positioned in various campus buildings and events from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day (throughout the week of Feb. 3),” said Dr. Stuckey. She said locations for registration include Johnson Hall, Gilchrist Complex, the STEM Complex, Jenkins Science Complex, the Ridley Student Center and evening athletic events.

Other Black History Month events include:

• Dr. Stuckey will discuss the work to rehabilitate the on-campus Rosenwald School and the Principal’s House at the Pasquotank Public Library Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 5 p.m.

• On Monday, Feb. 17, Dr. Glen Bowman will discuss the Civil Rights Movement lunch counter sit-ins in Elizabeth City. His talk will take place at the Gilchrist Complex at 3:30 p.m.

• On Feb. 19 at 5 p.m., Dr. Latif Tarik will give a talk at the Pasquotank Public Library about the Maroon communities within the U.S.

• On Thursday, Feb. 20, the ECSU University Choir will give a spoken word performance at the Arts of the Albemarle Third Thursday Jazz series in downtown Elizabeth City from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. A bus will shuttle students to the event at 4:30 p.m. and return to campus at 7 p.m. Bus pick-up will be outside the ECSU Commuter Center/Bowling Alley.

• Friday, Feb. 21 the ECSU Concert Band will give a “Tiny Desk” recording performance entitled “CTR: Check the Resume Unplugged” at 7 p.m. in room 206 of the Fine Arts building.

• Dr. Kimberly Smith will lecture on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Tuesday, Feb. 25 in room 138 of Johnson Hall at 3:30 p.m.

• Dr. Glen Bowman will discuss “Celebrating a Tri-Centennial: Elizabeth City’s African-American community and the pivotal year of 1919.” The event will be held at the Pasquotank Public Library Feb. 26 at 5 p.m.

• There will be a screening of “Just Mercy” at the RCE Theater in February, with a bus shuttling students. The day, time and pickup location will be announced later in month.

For more information on ECSU’s Black History Month events, contact Dr. Melissa Stuckey at mnstuckey@ecsu.edu, or Dr. Chas Reed at cvreed@ecsu.edu .