Our parade of cultures has begun!

Black Family Week started today (Feb. 2), a Chinese New Year and Culture Celebration is planned for Thursday (Feb. 5), and, then, from March through May, we’ll celebrate mixed heritage, Native American culture, Asian Pacific culture and la Raza (Chicana/o-Latina/o) culture.

Everyone’s invited and most events are free.

Black Family Week

“A time to celebrate and bring awareness to the history and presence of the African Diaspora community at the UC Davis campus,” states the website for the 2015 Black Family Week: “Blackness Without Borders.”

This year’s week, the 45th annual, is actually a two-week affair, running until Friday, Feb. 13. There’s something on the calendar every day, even Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 7-8): “educational, social, cultural and artistic programs enhancing the overall fellowship geared toward reviving the black UC Davis community,” according to the website.

Here is a sampling of events:

• Thriving While Black Pilot Study Symposium: “Stereotypes, Microaggressions and Statistics — Oh My!” — BernNadette Best-Green, a graduate student in the School of Education, leads this celebration of the black collegian’s perseverance, resilience and commitment to excellence. Best-Green's interactive, multimedia presentation features results from the 2014 UC Davis research study “Thriving While Black: Understanding Black University Students’ Perceptions about the K-12 Teacher and School Characteristics That Were Most Helpful and Most Harmful to Their College Aspirations.” 5:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4, Meeting Room D, Student Community Center.
• Step N’ Stroll 101 — Learn about the history of stepping and do some of stepping, by learning a routine and helping to create our very own UC Davis stroll. Presented by the National Pan-Hellenic Council. 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4, fourth floor, Pavilion Parking Structure (west entry). More information and RSVP on Facebook.
• Blackness Without Boundaries — Purpose workshop presented by the Cross Cultural Center and the Afrikan Black Coalition. 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, Meeting Room D, Student Community Center.
• Black Love — A highly energized space that will analyze both platonic and romantic relationships within the African Diaspora on campus. Team building activities, speakers and games that will focus on strengthening the unity within the community. 6:30-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6, Meeting Room D, Student Community Center
• Black Convocation Brunch — The fifth annual, presented by the African Continuum “to nurture the social and personal development of students of African descent in order to create a UC Davis community that is focused on academic excellence and future success in our global society.” The convocation offers students the opportunity to connect with a supportive network of faculty, staff and alumni, academic support, community building, as well as valuable campus resources. 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, Activities and Recreation Center. More information and RSVP on Facebook.
• “Color Adjustment: African American Representation in the Media” — Lalia Hekima Kiburi, lecturer in the Department of Sociology, addresses the influence of negative representations and colorism imposed on African Americans in the mass media. 4:30-6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9, Meeting Room D, Student Community Center. More information and RSVP on Facebook.
• Film: Fruitvale Station — About the life and death of Oscar Grant, killed by a Bay Area Rapid Transit District police officer in the early hours of New Year’s Day 2009. Program includes “a space for dialogue on issues like police brutality and the black experience.” Presented by the African Diaspora Coordinator for the Cross Cultural Center. 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, Meeting Room D, Student Community Center.
• Taste of Africa — The organizers invite people to “come explore African culture through food and music,” adding that “this year we hope to educate students about certain areas and tribes within west and east Africa.” Presented by the Nigerian Student Dance Group and Eritrean Student Association. 6-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, Meeting Room E, Student Community Center.

The complete program is available online. Also check out the Black Family Week Facebook page.

Chinese New Year and Culture Celebration

International House Davis is presenting this event in collaboration with the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, and the Confucius Institute at UC Davis.

“Try authentic refreshments, listen to live traditional music, watch calligraphy and tea demonstrations, and play interactive games,” the organizers said. The event, free and open to the public, is scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 5) at I-House, 10 College Place.

The celebration will launch a new monthly series of culture nights at I-House.

Cross Cultural Center

Students work with the Cross Cultural Center in organizing many of the campus’s culture celebrations. Check the center’s website for more information as events draw closer.

Here’s the schedule:

• Black Family Week — Feb. 2-13
• Mixed Heritage Week — March 2-6
• Native American Culture Days — April 6-10
• Powwow — April 11
• Asian Pacific Culture Week — April 20-24
• Asian Pacific Culture Night — April 24
• La Raza Culture Days — April 27-May 1
• La Gran Tardeada — May 2
• Danzantes del Alma annual show — May 2
• Black Family Day — May 16

Other celebrations

• Picnic Day — Saturday, April 18
• Pride Week — May 4-8
• Whole Earth Festival — Friday-Sunday, May 8-10

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