ISU celebrates Black History Month with week of virtual events

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - In honor of Black History Month, Idaho State University's Diversity Resource Center is hosting a week of virtual events for ISU students, faculty, staff and community members.

Monday kicked off the week with a keynote speech from Dr. Raphael Njoku, Professor of African History and Culture and Chairman of the Department of Global Studies and Languages.

In his keynote speech, Njoku explained why he believes Black history deserves a month dedicated to bringing awareness to and highlighting Black history.

Njoku explained that Black history is entwined with American history.

“There has been this bond for centuries between Blacks and whites. That bond transcends any form of hatred because it helped physical survival, it touches on morality, it touches on psychology and how we perceive things in society.

That’s why Black History Month is important, because we have not been able to really incorporate this useful history into the broader American history curriculum and teach it in a way that people in society will appreciate,” Njoku said.

There are virtual events all week, concluding with a Bengal "Black Out," an all-day campus-wide event inviting students and staff to wear all-black clothing in honor of Black History Month.

View the week's schedule of events here.