Black History Month Features Mountaineers, Poets, Scholars, Artists
About four years ago, a team of African Americans set out to summit North America’s highest peak, the 20,310-foot Denali, in Alaska, with a goal not just of reaching the top, but of making history. They wanted to “build a legacy of inclusion,” and to inspire other people of color to consider the outdoors their place.
Their expedition was captured in the documentary, An American Ascent, which will be shown at Bowdoin Thursday evening. Two of the trip’s mountaineers, Scott Briscoe and Tyrhee Moore, will discuss the film and the issues it addresses, including the “often overlooked issues of race and the outdoors.” The screening and discussion will kick off a month of programming to celebrate Black History Month.
The following Tuesday, Feb. 6, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, a prominent scholar
Through the rest of February, organizers of Black History Month at Bowdoin have planned many more events, including a faculty talk on black perspectives in history, politics, and art; a screening trip to see Black Panther, the first Marvel superhero film with a majority African American cast; a rap concert; an African art festival; a poetry reading by Elizabeth Acevedo; and the annual student Ebony Ball, a long-standing tradition at Bowdoin.
Check out Bowdoin’s events calendar to learn more.