Blog 1/30/24
Equitas Health celebrates Black Futures Month in February as part of our commitment to combat racism as a public health crisis. This call to establish safe spaces where we can sustain and cherish Black life guides our mission.
We invite you to celebrate with us at events honoring National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on FEB 7 in Cincinnati and Dayton. We also invite you to check out these online and in-person events around Ohio. Celebrate and honor Black history, Black innovation, and Black futures through art, film, poetry, and more!
Not Your Grandmother’s Black History Lecture Series “Who needs Black History Month?”
FEB 1 | 7 – 8 PM | Online
Dr. Holly Y. McGee, associate professor in the Department of Africana Studies at the University of Cincinnati, will talk about the value of Black History Month, and why Black History happens 365 days a year! Learn more at the Ohio History Connection.
Registration by FEB 1
Zoom Registration Link: https://bit.ly/45RXv85
A Madman’s Will: John Randolph, Four Hundred Slaves, and the Mirage of Freedom
FEB 15 | 7 PM | Online
Paisha Thomas facilitates this online program. Thomas is a descendant of the Randolph Freed People, a group of 383 freed slaves who traveled by foot from Roanoke, Virginia, to their promised land in Ohio. The program features author Gregory May, who told about the story in his book, A Madman’s Will. Learn more at the Ohio History Connection.
Register by FEB 15
Zoom Registration Link: https://bit.ly/3QmMSoY
An Unplugged Conversation with Kofi Boakye
FEB 8 | 5 PM | FREE
Kofi Boakye, professionally known as Kofi B., is a 23 year-old, 2x Emmy-nominated musician, producer, and actor born and raised in Akron, Ohio. He is currently on his first micro-city tour called “Just Play It Tour.” Learn more about the event and speaker here.
The University of Akron Jean Hower Taber Student Union Gardner Theater | 303 Carroll St. | Akron, OH 44325
Evening Exhibition Tours: Centering Black Artists
THU | FEB 1, 8, 15 & 29 | 5:15 – 6 PM
Celebrate Black History on Thursday evenings at the Kennedy Museum of Art. Ohio University student staff will lead tours of the exhibition, Centering Black Artists. On FEB 29, Dr. Brian Stephens, assistant professor of African American Studies, will lead a gallery talk. For more info, click here.
100 Ridges Circle | Athens, OH 45701
Heroes in Color
FEB 1, 7, 22 & 29 | 7 PM
The Athena Cinema will celebrate Black History Month with select films, beginning with Black Panther on FEB 1. Each show will feature added content such as trivia, introductions, raffles, themed drinks, and more! Learn more here.
20 S. Court St. | Athens, OH 45701
Pages of Pride | Discovering Canton’s African American History
FEB 6 | 6 – 7 PM
Join author Geraldine Radcliffe as she talks about her contributions to African Americans of Canton, Ohio (The History Press, 2019). She will share her research, writing process, and personal anecdotes. To register, click here.
DeHoff Memorial Branch of Stark Library | 216 Hartford Ave. SE | Canton, OH 44707 | (330) 452-9014
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
FEB 7 | 5 – 8 PM | FREE
Join Equitas Health at Braxton Brewing Company for an evening of trivia, games, and more! Enjoy a lip sync contest, food, and trivia. Cash prizes awarded for the top three (3) trivia teams. Sign up for the trivia contest at tinyurl.com/ymnzfbbf.
Braxton Brewing Company
2805 Gilbert Ave. | Cincinnati, OH 45206
Voices for Truth – Early Black Abolitionists
FEB 7 | 7 – 8 PM | In-Person & Online
Come hear the voices of two early Black abolitionists – Olaudah Equiano and David Walker.
For more information, click here.
Walnut Hills Branch Library | 2533 Kemper Lane | Cincinnati, OH
Paul Laurence Dunbar: Beyond the Mask
FEB 24 | 2 – 4 PM | FREE
Enjoy a screening of Paul Laurence Dunbar: Beyond the Mask, a documentary about the life and legacy of the first African American poet/writer to gain international fame. Born to former slaves in Dayton, Ohio, Dunbar (1872-1906) is best remembered for his poem “We Wear the Mask” and for the lines from “Sympathy” that became the title of Maya Angelou’s famous autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Learn more about the documentary and filmmaker here.
Walnut Hills Branch Library | 2533 Kemper Lane | Cincinnati, OH
Ohio Statehouse Celebrates Black History Month
FEB 6 – FEB 27 | 12 – 1 PM | FREE
The Ohio Statehouse will honor Black History Month with FREE public events every Tuesday in February. The 45-minute presentations, followed by a 15-minute Q & A, take place in the Statehouse Atrium.
FEB 6 | The Lincoln School Story with Melvin Barnes of Ohio Humanities
FEB 13 | The Underground Railroad in Central Ohio with the Columbus Metropolitan Library
FEB 20 | The Lincoln Theater with Executive Director Suzan Bradford
FEB 27 | The Henry Box Brown Show by Rory Rennick magician and historian
OhioChannel.org will livestream the performances.
For more information, visit the statehouse website.
The Tea Room featuring Black Women Rise Poetry Collective
FEB 17 | 11 AM – 1:30 PM
Join the Ohio History Connection for a series of poetry performances about “Black Womanhood.” Entertainment provided by Urban Strings and the Ohio Village historical interpreters. The cost is $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
Advanced registration is required by FEB 14. A registration link will be available soon. Check back at the Ohio History Connection.
Engage. Educate. Empower
Uniting to end HIV/AIDS in Black Communities
FEB 7 | 5 – 7 PM | FREE
Join Equitas Health on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day for a movie, games, and food in honor of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
The Greater Dayton LGBT Center
136 N. St. Clair St. | Dayton, OH 45402 | (937) 274-1776
Damen Cook and Friends Jazz Concert
FEB 10 | 2 – 4 PM | FREE
Four-piece jazz combo Damen Cook and Friends will celebrate Black History Month with an afternoon concert at the Mott Branch of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library. To learn more, click here.
1085 Dorr St. | Toledo, OH 43607
Rhythm of Revolution – The Transformative Power of Black Art 1619 to the present
Daily through MAR 2 | 9 AM – 4 PM
Rhythm of Revolution explores how Black artists, religious leaders, and activists worked to transform Ohio and our nation. or more information and ticket prices, click here.
National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center
1350 Brush Row Road | Wilberforce, OH 45384
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Equitas Health, Ohio’s largest LGBTQ+ and HIV-serving healthcare organization, has announced new officers on the Board of Trustees. Susan McManus (she/her), vice president of business solutions marketing at Nationwide, will serve as Board chair for a one-year term through July 2025.
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Equitas Health is pleased to announce that a collective bargaining agreement has been reached with Equitas Health Workers United Local #6609. Members of the bargaining unit voted this week, and the result was resounding support for ratification of the agreement.
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