By Dianne Anderson

Long Beach City College is inviting the community out for giveaways and good soul food eats as the campus kicks off its Black Heritage Month for an outdoor in-person event in front of Bldg A on February 9 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Dr. Jerome Hunt, a co-chair of the Black History Month events, said the entire community is welcome to log on and chime in on a virtual breakout of versatile topics.

In light of COVID19, “Black Men in White Coats” event is a conversation starter, not only for Black students at the college, but also for the wider Black community. The event runs on February 15 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Dr. Hunt said there is not enough talk about Black males in medicine, adding that it’s sad to see that the community has to work so hard to find Black health professionals and providers.

He hopes the panel discussions will open minds and the doors for the possibility of more Black students to look into the medical field as a career option.

“For myself, I’ve searched to find black primary care physicians and try to find them for our foster children as well. It’s a shame that it has to be that way to find someone who shares your lived experience and can give you that extra level of concern and care that you deserve as a patient,” he said.

Of all the events, he is probably the most excited to welcome an evening with Dr. Cornell West, which is sure to open up thought-provoking discussions.

“We’re fortunate to have him come virtually to the college and talk about the legacy of the late Bell Hooks. He’s also engaging with a question and answer with our student leaders and our audience that will be virtual as well,” said Hunt, professor of History, Political Science and Ethnic Studies at LBCC.

As the campus continues its quest to create the best culture of care, he said that they are hosting their Black male student panel event. The goal helping students learn how to access Black Faculty and staff, as well as their peers to have a full support system.

One way to make sure the campus addresses concerns of the community is by getting Black voices at the table.

“This time we’re going to get the perspective of Black males, who unfortunately are not doing as well as we would like on the college campus,” he said. “This will hopefully give some insight on what they are facing daily.”

It’s also time to get students thinking about all the free money for their education.

The 2022-23 March 2 FAFSA deadline is near, and access to funds, grants and scholarship dollars should be on every student’s mind. The campus is always reaches out to guide students to grants and resources that are available just for the asking.

“We have a Black student resource guide that allows to students know their resources on campus. We try to connect students whenever we can, at various events, that’s one of the goals of this panel to see what the needs are and connect to resources,” he said.

Their Meet Your Village Event is designed to link students to Black Faculty and Staff so they know where to turn, and which departments have services and avoid missing important deadlines.

Outside FAFSA and Pell grant, he said other scholarship opportunities and work studies may also be available.

Considering the wild course of events of the past two years, their month-long virtual series follows the national theme of Black health and wellness. There is something for the whole body, mind and spirit that students can glean from the event.

“For us, as a campus community, it’s continuing to try to build upon the framework for reconciliation. Our focus is on creating safer spaces, creating culture care spaces for Black African American students on campus and in the community as well,” he said.

On Thursday 17, the African American Cultural Center, Long Beach Nonprofit Organization is partnering with CSULB on the 1619 Project. That virtual event runs from 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm.

“We are proud to announce that for Black History Month, we are collaborating with the CSULB Upward Bound Program to present a community discussion of the 1619 Project, a book by Nikole Hannah- Jones. This will be an engaging virtual book club session about this very important topic of reframing of American history,” the African American Cultural Center posted on their Facebook.

The center also notes that their physical location is closed until further notice.

For information on the 1619 Project event, contact info@AACCLB.org and register at https://bit.ly/3GOAt67

For more information on LBCC dates and time of Zoom events,
See https://www.lbcc.edu/post/black-heritage-month-events