Culture critic kicks off history month

A journalist, poet and cultural critic will kick off African-American History Month events Monday at Kansas University.

Kevin Powell will discuss hip-hop culture on college campuses during a 7 p.m. speech at Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas Union. A book signing will follow the lecture.

Powell’s articles, essays and reviews have appeared in Newsweek, Code, Rolling Stone, Essence, the Washington Post and Vibe. He also was a cast member of MTV’s “The Real World” in 1992.

He wrote several books, including “In the Tradition: An Anthology of Young Black Writers,” “Keepin’ It Real: Post-MTV Reflections on Race, Sex and Politics” and “Step into a World: A Global Anthology of the New Black Literature.”

The speech is sponsored by the Black Student Union.

Other African-American History Month events at KU include:

  • A black faculty, staff and student basketball game, 6 p.m. Saturday, Robinson Gymnasium.
  • “Am I My Brother’s Keeper?” a discussion for black men, 7 p.m. Feb. 5 at the Burge Union.
  • “Playas, Pimps and Ball Players: African-American Men Speak about Racism,” 7 p.m. Feb. 6 in the Kansas Room of the Kansas Union.
  • David Parson Dance Company, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 7, Lied Center.
  • Black History Trivia Bowl, 7 p.m. Feb. 10, Burge Union.
  • Delta Sigma Theta program, 7 p.m. Feb. 11, Burge Union.
  • “How African Culture has Impacted Latin America,” 6:30 p.m. Feb. 12, English Room, Kansas Union.
  • Black Graduate Student Assn. town hall meeting on diversity, 7 p.m. Feb. 13, Kansas Union.
  • BSU talent show, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 14, Frontier Room, Kansas Union.
  • NAACP Black Heritage Ball, 6 p.m. Feb. 16, Kansas Union Ballroom.
  • BSU meetings, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24, Burge Union.
  • “African-American Leadership: A Historical Perspective,” 7 p.m. Feb. 18, Burge Union.
  • “Can We Talk? A Dialogue Between Black Women,” 7 p.m. Feb. 19, Burge Union.
  • Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government, Feb. 20-23, University of Oklahoma.
  • “African-American and Latino Relationships,” 8 p.m. Feb. 24, Gridiron Room, Burge Union.
  • “Being a Successful Black Woman of Today,” 7 p.m. Feb. 25, Kansas Union.
  • “Race vs. Ethnicity, the Struggle of Being Black and Latino,” 6:30 p.m. Feb. 26, Kansas Union.
  • Hawk Link STEP Tutor Social, 7 p.m. Feb. 27, Kansas Union.
  • “We Are One Community” diversity conference, Feb. 28, Kansas Union.