Black History Calendar

Today

South Arkansas Community College will continue its African American Heritage Week celebration with the African-American Read-In at 12:15 p.m. at the El Dorado Conference Center. The Read-In celebrates African-American literature and poetry.

Tomorrow

SouthArk’s Student Government Association will host a free screening of “Hidden Figures” from 12:15-3:00 p.m. in the SouthArk Library Auditorium.

The 2016 film is inspired by true events surrounding three African-American female mathematicians, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, and their influence during NASA’s space race.

Christopher Nolan will pay tribute to the

legendary Nat King Cole at 9 p.m. at the Griffin Restaurant. Reservations can be made by calling 870-444-3007.

Cole, a Grammy award-winning jazz musician, was the first African-American to perform on a TV variety show. He also crooned on “The Christmas Song,” a classic played during yuletide affairs every year.

Thursday

In support of the Shirley Jean Hicks Russell Memorial Scholarship, the SouthArk Foundation will host its annual Unity in the

Community Musical at 6:30 p.m. at Douglas Chapel Baptist Church. The musical will feature local choirs, praise dancers and a recitation of the “I Have a Dream” speech.

Former US Surgeon General M. Joycelyn

Elders, M.D. will be speaking at SAU Tech’s Black History Celebration at 6 p.m. in the Student Center.

Elders, a native Arkansan, was the first African-American to be appointed as the Arkansas Department of Health Director and US Surgeon General, both times under the Clinton administration. Tickets range from $25-200. For more information, contact Rita Givens at 870-574-4495 or rgivens@sautech. edu.

The Bright Star Touring Theatre will present “Freedom Songs: The Music of Black History” at 6 p.m. at the South Arkansas Arts

Center.

The show, sponsored by Barton Library, will include “songs which carried the secret messages needed to navigate the Underground Railroad, to the powerful anthems of the Civil Rights Movement, to the Beale Street Blues.”

The Kenya Safari Acrobats, a group showcasing East African and Caribbean music, dance and gymnastics, will perform at University of Arkansas-Monticello at 7 p.m. in the Gibson University Center Green Room. For more information, contact Rebecca Nugent at 870460-1396.

Saturday

SouthArk’s eighth annual African

American Family and Friends Day will start at 9 a.m. at Heritage Plaza, located on the West Campus. This affair will include speakers and entertainment.

The event’s centerpiece is Heritage Trivia, which will pose black history questions to random audience members for a chance to win

prizes. The event will also feature board, card and lawn games; basketball, as well as college information and booths from area organizations.

Registration for the free event starts at 8:30 a.m. Each attendee also will receive a free t-shirt, while supplies last, and lunch will be provided.

For more information, contact Tim Johnson at 870-864-8421.

Feb. 23

Applications for Brookshire’s “Because History Matters” scholarship program are due by 5 p.m. The scholarship is open to any graduating high school senior with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.

Applicants must be enrolled in a junior college, four-year institution or an accredited technical college by fall 2018. Winners will receive up to $3,000, paid directly to their schools of choice. For full guidelines and to apply for the Because History Matters scholarship, please visit www.Brookshires.com/ because-history-matters/.