The Multicultural Center will host the Black History Month Speaker Series featuring guest speaker Bettie Mae Fikes to kick off celebrations. The event will take place from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 3 in the Martha Street Culp Auditorium.
“The main thing is to come together. It’s not only to celebrate Black History Month, but to come together and have the fellowship that people need. People need to reconnect. Without that, we don’t thrive really well,” said Nathnael Tadesse, assistant director of the Multicultural Center. “At the same time, it’s to get something new—new perspectives, new ideas, new education and new experiences through the program and the activities.”
Bettie Mae Fikes is a celebrated icon from the Civil Rights Movement and a well-known gospel singer. She used her voice to inspire her community as she fought for equality and became known as “The Voice of Selma.” She continues to empower the Black community and inspire her audiences through her singing and continued advocacy for civil rights.
“Being engaged in the community is very important to make sure the community thrives and supports each other,” said Tadesse. “Fikes has that characteristic. She does it through music, and she also does it through her activism.”
The Multicultural Center, along with the Black Affairs Association, will continue to have events throughout the month of February in celebration of Black History Month including game nights, dance lessons, yoga and more. More information about these and other upcoming events, along with specific dates and locations, can be found at https://www.etsu.edu/equity/mcc/.
“All the programs are really designed to enhance the students’ experience in learning here on campus. That is our priority in everything we do—to make sure students are successful,” said Tadesse. “We’d like to invite all the students, faculty and staff, really to be engaged in the programs we have.”
