In celebration of Black History Month, the University of Arizona’s College of Humanities launches their Tucson Humanities Festival this week. The festival will occur from Monday, Feb. 8 to Feb. 23, and will include three virtual events. 

Some speakers for the events include Jelani Cobb, a Columbia School of Journalism professor, and Wellesley College associate professor and historian Brenna Wynn Greer. 

Cobb will be speaking on his documentary titled “Whose Vote Counts?” and the role of race in U.S. elections on Monday, Feb. 8, at 4 p.m. 

The College of Humanities’ Africana Studies program will follow with a virtual showcase of their programs, research and community partnerships on Feb. 17 at 2 p.m. 

Greer’s presentation, titled “Who Framed Rosa Parks: The Photographic Legacy of Civil Rights Icons,” will focus on the relationship between the media and protestors from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Greer’s talk will take place on Feb. 23 at 4 p.m.

The events of the Tucson Humanities Festival will not be the only celebrations of Black history this month. 

Arizona State University’s programming organization Project Humanities will be hosting a screening of the movie “Mr. SOUL!” on Feb. 24. “Mr. SOUL!” celebrates the work of Ellis Haizlip, the producer behind the United States’ first Black variety show. After the screening, UA Africana Studies professor Tani Sanchez and Jacqueline Trimble, the chair of the Department of Languages and Literatures at Alabama State University, will be leading a virtual panel discussion on the film.

For more information, the schedule of events is listed on the UA Humanities website along with additional information on the speakers and events. All Tucson Humanities Festival events will be hosted via Zoom. Those interested in Project Humanities’ event must register ahead of time on Eventbrite. A full list of campus events at the University of Arizona can be found here.

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