UDM celebrates Martin Luther King Jr., Black History Month
University of Detroit Mercy is commemorating the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and celebrating Black History Month with a series of programs on the McNichols, Riverfront and Corktown Campuses in January and February.
Below are the event details. Stay up to date with this and other programming by visiting Detroit Mercy Live.
All event dates and times are subject to change.
Monday, Jan. 15
Ecojustice Immersion Day
9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Join University Ministry and the Titan Equity Nourish Network (TENN) for an immersion day that will include service and reflection. Students will tour Detroit’s 48217 ZIP Code, which has the worst air quality in Michigan, and meet with leaders of organizations to learn about environmental justice and the intersectionality with racial justice.
Light breakfast, lunch and transportation will be provided at no cost. All Detroit Mercy students are welcome.
This event is co-sponsored by University Ministry and TENN.
Tuesday, Jan. 16
National Day of Racial Healing Snack and Chat
12:45-2 p.m.
Student Union Ballroom
Join the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for a discussion on race and racism in our world as we seek to create a more inclusive institution.
Thursday, Feb. 1-Thursday, Feb. 29
Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood Exhibit
St. Ignatius Chapel, Commerce & Finance Building
University Ministry will have an exhibit in St. Ignatius Chapel highlighting six Black Catholics on the road to sainthood. Their stories share the influence and impact they had on the Catholic community and their deep sense of faith and spirituality.
Thursday, Feb. 1
Black History Trivia
6-7:30 p.m.
Student Union, Lower Level Lounge
Test your knowledge about African American firsts, famous African American trailblazers, Black athletes and entrepreneurs. Food and refreshments will be provided.
This event is co-sponsored by Student Life, Campus Activity Board and the Hive.
Men’s basketball Black History Game
Feb. 3
1 p.m.
Calihan Hall
Celebrate Black History while supporting the men’s basketball team as they take on Robert Morris. The Black History Game will feature Titan Trivia highlighting Black History and the Civil Rights Movement, music by Black and Detroit artists and a pre-game performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Monday, Feb. 5
Virtual book talk: By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow's Legal Executioners
7 p.m.
Margaret Burnham, founding director of the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project at Northeastern University, will discuss her recent book, By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow's Legal Executioners. The book explores a series of legal cases involving African Americans from 1920 to 1960 and shows the connections between the laws of slavery and the legal system under Jim Crow in the late 19th and 20th Century South. Many of the cases involved rendition, the legal process by which Southern states sought to return accused African Americans to Southern "justice." This prompted battles over questions of jurisdiction, many right here in Detroit.
This event is co-sponsored by Detroit Mercy School of Law, the Association of Black Law Alumni, the African American Studies program, the Black Abolitionist Archive, the History department, the Political Science department, the Pre-Law program and Student Affairs.
Wednesday, Feb. 7
Interfaith Dinner
5-7:30 p.m.
Student Union Ballroom
The Interfaith Dinner is an opportunity for our community to come together to celebrate our diversity of cultural and religious traditions over a meal.
World Interfaith Harmony Week falls in early February every year and aims to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith. University Ministry is committed to providing programming to support interfaith exploration and the creation of bonds of friendship and understanding across the diverse faith and philosophical traditions represented among Detroit Mercy's student body.
Thursday, Feb. 8
Painting Night
6-7:30 p.m.
Special Functions Room, School of Dentistry
Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion will host Paint, Vibe and Celebrate as part of its celebration of Black History Month. No art experience is required. All painting supplies will be available in the Special Functions Room with artist instruction.
No matter how you identify, come have a good time with fellow Titans.
Women’s basketball Black History Game
Feb. 8
7 p.m.
Calihan Hall
Celebrate Black History while supporting the women’s basketball team as they take on Robert Morris. The Black History Game will feature Titan Trivia highlighting Black History and the Civil Rights Movement, music by Black and Detroit artists and a pre-game performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Saturday, Feb. 10
Motown Museum Tour
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Join fellow Titans for a private tour of Detroit's Motown Museum. Tickets can be purchased from the McNichols Campus' Student Life Office for $10 cash and includes admission to the museum and the tour.
Wednesday, Feb. 14
Love Stories from the Underground Railroad
Student Union Ballroom
7 p.m. (Alumni reception preceding event at 5:30 p.m.)
Ilyon Woo will discuss her recent book, Master, Slave, Husband, Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom, which recounts the story of William and Ellen Craft, the most famous couple to flee enslavement in the south.
They did so by “hiding in plain sight;” Ellen, who was light skinned, posed as a slave owner traveling northward with her personal servant, William. They made it to freedom by boat and railroad car. The couple wanted to legalize their marriage – which was denied to them in slavery – and raise a family in freedom.
Come and be inspired by this story of the quest for love and freedom during Love Stories from the Underground Railroad, which celebrates Black History Month and Valentine’s Day. This is the 11th consecutive year for Love Stories.
An alumni reception will precede the event in the Student Union Ballroom lobby at 5:30 p.m., and a book signing will follow Woo's talk.
This event is co-sponsored by Alumni Relations, the College of Liberal Arts & Education, African American Studies, Women's and Gender Studies, the Black Abolitionist Archive and Student Life.
Wednesday, Feb. 14
Black History Month Jeopardy
5:30-6:30 p.m.
Room 1430, School of Dentistry
Test your knowledge and learn about African American people, events and terms in this event hosted by Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
The goal of this event is to deepen your appreciation for African Americans’ contributions in math, science, government, the arts and many other areas that have shaped our nation’s history.
Thursday, Feb. 15
Past, Present and Future panel discussion and mixer
5-9 p.m.
Atrium (mixer) and Room 342 (panel discussion), School of Law
Alumni, students and young attorneys will share and lead conversations about the legal field during Past, Present and Future, a panel discussion hosted by Detroit Mercy School of Law’s Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and the Association of Black Law Alumni (ABLA).
Participants will discuss a number of topics, including surviving in the legal world, the dismantlement of affirmative action and how community engagement can be strengthened.
The event will begin with a networking mixer at 5 p.m. in the atrium of Detroit Mercy School of Law, followed by the panel discussion at 6:15 p.m. in Room 347.
Tuesday, Feb. 20
AI and Race
12:45-2 p.m.
Bargman Room, McNichols Campus Library, second floor
This event will explore artificial intelligence and several questions, including how AI implements individual and social identities, how and when it becomes racialized, how race and AI create and recreate each other and possible social consequences of a racially marked AI-driven future.
This event is sponsored by the McNichols Campus Library, the Black Abolitionist Archive, African American Studies and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Tuesday, Feb. 20
Black History Month Poetry Slam
6-8 p.m.
Student Union Ballroom
Join the Campus Activity Board for a poetry slam to honor Black History Month. This is a competitive art event in which poets perform spoken word poetry before a live audience and a panel of judges. While formats may vary, slams are often loud and lively, with audience participation.
Wednesday, Feb. 21
Self-care Workshop
6:30 p.m.
Special Functions Room, School of Dentistry
Explore self-love and self-compassion in order to increase awareness around our own personal tools of self-care. We hear words like self-care and self-compassion all the time, but what do they really mean? It can be easy to focus your energy on taking care of the needs of others, all the while forgetting about your own needs.
Thursday, Feb. 29
Cardio Fitness Class
6:30-7:30 p.m.
School of Dentistry Gym
This energetic class challenges you with a variety of low-impact aerobics, step, kickboxing, strength training and sculpting. Core conditioning and stretching conclude this class.