Southeastern NEWS
Southeastern Louisiana University
Public Information Office
publicinfo@selu.edu
SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
Date: 1/23/01
Contact: Christina Chapple 92
SLU TO CELEBRATE AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH IN FEBRUARY
HAMMOND -- A town hall meeting on diversity and a performance by an
internationally known choir are among the highlights of African-American Heritage Month,
which Southeastern will celebrate in February.
Pat Ojo, director of the Office of Multicultural and International Affairs, said the theme
for the 2001 celebration is "The Dawn of a New Era: Black Intellectuals Forging a Future in the
Spirit of Unity."
To jump start the month-long celebration, the College of Education and Human
Development's Office of Diversity and Multicultural Issues, the Division of Student Affairs'
Office of Leadership Development and Student Activities and Hammond's First United
Methodist Church have joined forces to sponsor a performance by the acclaimed Rust College
A'Cappella Choir.
The free performance is scheduled for 7 p.m. February 9 at the First United Methodist
Church, 220 Rue Denise.
The choir, under the direction of Zebedee Jones, is one of America's most renowned
choirs, said Celina Echols of the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Issues. "The College of
Education and Human Development is excited about partnering with the First United Methodist
Church to bring this group to the Hammond area," Echols said. "Partnerships like this are a
wonderful way to build cultural knowledge and awareness."
The A'Cappella Choirs' repertoire includes classical, semi-classical, spirituals, opera and
contemporary and traditional gospel. The singers have captured international attention and have
recorded with performers such as Leontine Price and Norma Dorsey. They performed at the 1982
and 1983 World's Fairs and have toured the United States and Europe. The choir has appeared
on regional radio and television programs, including the International Protestant Hour, which is
heard in more than 100 foreign countries as well as the United States.
Most recently, the choir won first place at the 13th Annual American Negro Spiritual
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AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH Add One
Festival held in the Cincinnati Music Hall. This year's touring schedule includes plans for a
performance at the United Methodist Church's world conference in the Congo.
Also during African-American Heritage Month, Southeastern will host a town hall
meeting on "Unity out of Diversity" at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Theatre. Past African-
American Heritage Month town hall sessions have been well received on campus and nationally
recognized. The Council for Advancement and Support of Education awarded Southeastern's
1999 Town Hall Meeting on Race Relations a bronze medal in the "Community Relations
Programs and Projects" category of its national Circle of Excellence Awards Program.
Also tentatively planned for the month are a preview of events at noon on January 30 in
D Vickers Hall; an opening ceremony at 7 p.m., February 1 in the Student Union Theatre; a
fashion show at 7 p.m., February 7 in the Student Union ballroom; and "Our Voice Program" at
6:30 p.m. on February 22, tentatively scheduled for Pottle Music Building Auditorium.
For more information on African-American Heritage Month, call Ojo at 504-549-3850 or
Echols at 504-549-3913.
-SLU-
Press release available online at www.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsp01.htm