Florida Tech is hosting its 10th annual African American Read-In this month which will celebrate the cultural legacy of the Black American experience.
“Black History: The Fabric of Our Lives” will be from 6:30-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21 on the first floor of Evans Library. Sponsored by the library and the School of Arts and Communication, the program will showcase a tiered timeline of Black history – history intrinsically interwoven throughout both American and local Brevard County history.
The Read-In’s Harlem Renaissance theme highlights where the past meets the present, organizers say, recognizing Black luminaries through song, performance and spoken word. There will be featured readings from Harlem Renaissance writers Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Jessie Redmon Fauset and Countee Cullen, as well as works from contemporary poets such as Amanda Gorman and Rudy Francisco.
The readers and performers will be a mix of Florida Tech faculty, community members and students. Florida Tech First Lady Stacy Nicklow, Ph.D., will be among those reading.
Attendees will also hear from keynote speaker Sonya Mallard, the cultural center coordinator of the Harry T. & Harriette V. Moore Memorial Park & Museum in Mims. Mallard is also a member of the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network, a statewide collective dedicated to preserving Florida’s African American culture and history through both education and visits to the state’s historical sites.
The event will also highlight the nine Black sororities and fraternities making up the “Divine Nine,” as well as Black trailblazers from the psychology and aerospace fields. It will also acknowledge Melbourne’s three Black founders and their legacies.
Jordin Chandler ‘19, a 2023 LEAD Brevard “4 Under 40” recipient and former Read-In participant, will emcee the program.
Attendees are encouraged to dress in Harlem Renaissance or African attire, or any way they see fit to suit the occasion. A traditional African-American meal will be served: chicken and waffles, collard greens and sweet potato pie.
Parking is recommended in Lot 16 on Babcock Street just north of University Boulevard. It is close to the library and ADA accessible. See the Campus Parking Map for more information.
