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Black History Month Celebration to Focus on Civil Rights
Piqua Mayor Kris Lee to Speak
The Diversity Committee at Edison State Community College is hosting a
celebration of Black History Month with a special event that focuses on
civil rights. The event will be held on Monday, February 24, from 6–8
p.m. in the Robinson Theater of the Piqua Campus and is free and open
to the community.
The evening will include a keynote address by the newly appointed Piqua
Mayor Kris Lee, readings of student essays and historical pieces, a
dance performance from Columbus-based G.O.R.E.E. Drum and Dance, and
refreshments.
“Civil rights continue to remain a hot topic in American culture,” said
Marva Archibald, Diversity Committee Chairperson. “We wanted to find a
way for people to come together and explore these topics through
various forms of expression.”
Piqua Mayor Kris Lee, who will provide a keynote address on civility,
brings with him a historic background as a descendent of the Randolph
freed people, a group of 383 emancipated people and survivors of
slavery on a plantation in Roanoke, Virginia, in the 1800s. Once
released, the Randolph group resettled north of Piqua at Rossville, a
location also called the Randolph Slave Settlement.
Prior to becoming Mayor, Lee worked in law enforcement for over 20
years while also serving as the city of Piqua’s third ward
commissioner. Lee is also an alumnus, adjunct instructor and Peace
Academy trainer of Edison State.
Leading up to the event, Edison State students submitted written work
for a juried essay competition on the provided topic: “Let’s Get
Civil.” During the event, the first, second, and third place recipients
will receive prizes and read excerpts from their essays.
The dance portion of the evening will feature G.O.R.E.E. Drum and Dance
(Giving Others Resources, Education, and Empowerment through Drum and
Dance). While focusing primarily on West African dance styles, the
group weaves together the rich diversity of Directors Balla and
Ndeyekhady’s far-ranging experiences. GOREE Dance and Drum is committed
to honoring the tradition of their teachers, culture, and history of
traditional West African Dance while bringing their unique flair to
life.
“We have a fun evening planned which features the Piqua Mayor who holds
a rich African–American history, along with original essays, a special
dance performance from G.O.R.E.E., and good food,” added Archibald.
“There will be something for everybody.”
The Diversity Committee at Edison State Community College is committed
to advancing the College’s academic mission and goals in the areas of
diversity, equality, inclusion, and human rights by leading efforts to
define, assess, and cultivate diversity as both an institutional value
and an academic priority.
The Black History Month events are sponsored, in part, by Edison State
Community College, Unity National Bank, and U.S. Bank. For more
information, contact Marva Archibald, Diversity Committee Chairperson,
by calling (937) 778-7908 or emailing marchibald@edisonohio.edu.
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