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The red, black, and green Pan-African Flag, also called the Black Liberation Flag, flies in front of One Government Center after being raised in honor of Black History Month in 2022.
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Multiple events set as Black History Month gets under way in Toledo

THE BLADE

Multiple events set as Black History Month gets under way in Toledo

Black History Month has officially arrived with area organizations wasting no time in offering a slew of events and activities, both in-person and virtual, to honor African-Americans' achievements and contributions to history and culture. 

From online and in-person historical exhibits to workshops, panel discussions, and other commemorative events, the advent of Black History Month leaves no shortage of options for celebrants throughout the first few weeks of February. More events are expected to be announced in the coming days. 

Lucas County Commissioners are kicking events off at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday by raising the Pan-African flag, also known as the Black Liberation Flag, from the One Government Center flagpole in downtown Toledo to honor Black History Month. The flag will fly in place of the Lucas County flag during the month of February. 

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Kimberley Fisher, children's librarian at the Lagrange branch of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library and co-chairman of the library’s African American Appreciation Coalition, said a digital Black history and genealogy exhibit has launched at toledolibrary.org/gallery-exhibit. She said curated scrapbooks, photographs, and videos are available that recount the lives and experiences of Black citizens in Toledo.
 
The launch of the online exhibit is a precursor to expert and panel discussions, workshops, and documentary showings throughout February that center around the national Black History Month theme of "Black Resistance.”    
 
“As a committee, we looked at what that resistance means and we went with the local approach of past, present, and future for Toledo,” she said. “So there's something from the comfort of your own home, you can just log right into our website and take a look back to the years of local history in Toledo.
 
“But we put our care into all of these programs because we wanted something for everyone,” she added. “We're really just trying to promote cultural awareness and understanding through multiple activities at individual branches so you can browse different diversity topics and just really learn something different.”
 
Ms. Fisher said additional programs will be added throughout the month at various library branches and advised residents to check back with the calendar of events on the library’s website at toledolibrary.org. Other events planned so far this month include: 
 
  • Confronting Racism, a public discussion with University of Toledo assistant professor Monita Mungo, at 3 p.m. Thursday at Main Library, 325 N. Michigan St. Ms. Mungo of UT’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology, plans to discuss systemic racism affects the choices and chances of individuals and the importance of perceptions and narratives used to describe recent social justice protests.
  • Driving While Black, an online documentary, with a discussion to follow, at 6 p.m. Monday. The documentary observes the personal experiences of Blacks on the road.
  • Face of Violence, a panel event about gun violence and stories of community members lost to gun violence, at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Main Library.
  • Young Gifted and Black, set from 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at Lagrange Branch, is a workshop for local young entrepreneurs in celebration of Black child entrepreneurs.
Ms. Fisher added the library is also going to celebrate the anniversary of Rosa Parks’ birth from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Lagrange Branch, 3422 Lagrange St., with interactive story times and other engaging activities. 
 
The University of Toledo will also hold public events throughout February. Some will focus on student-only events, but others include the 53rd Annual Black Student Union Scholarship Fashion Show, at 6 p.m. Feb. 11 at the student union auditorium, and an author meet-and-greet with Detroit author Rainesha Williams-Fox at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Feb. 18 at the Eberly Center for Women, 2801 W Bancroft St. Ms. Williams-Fox wrote a children’s book, Radiant Black Girl.
 
Kyndra Gaines, multicultural program manager in UT’s Office of Multicultural Student Success, said a community service project is planned all day on Feb. 15 when volunteers will make blankets for the Family House homeless shelter. All are invited to visit UT’s Thompson Student Union Room 2500, whether participants can sew or not, and assist. Donated items such as toiletries, cleaning products, laundry soap, pillowcases, and baby blankets are also being accepted.
 
“We're just very excited to know that we are able to do things for Black History Month as well as work with people and various Toledo organizations that are engaged with the community,” she said. “And we’re excited to be hosting activities for all people to come together and have a unified and celebratory month.”
 
A full list of events is available at utoledo.edu. As with the library, Ms. Gaines said more events are likely to be added as the month progresses. 

First Published February 1, 2023, 12:09 a.m.

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