Celebrating Northwestern Alumni During Black History Month
Each February, Americans observe Black History Month by celebrating the legacy, resilience, and achievements of Black Americans. The Northwestern Alumni Association (NAA) is taking this opportunity to reflect on the myriad contributions Black alums have made to the University and society. We’re highlighting just a few of the people, organizations, and events shaping Black history and enriching the Northwestern community.
Alumni Author Talk with Natasha Alford ’14 MS
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
11 a.m. CST
Virtual (Zoom)
Natasha Alford is an award-winning journalist, digital host, and media executive who currently serves as vice president of digital content and a senior correspondent at theGrio. She leads a national team reporting on critical news and issues affecting Black communities. Alford will offer a presentation on her upcoming memoir, American Negra, in collaboration with the NAA and Northwestern University Black Alumni Association (NUBAA). Explore Alford’s reflections on the complexity of being multiethnic in the United States through this virtual event.
Alumni Author Talk with Natasha Tarpley ’98 JD
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Noon CST
Virtual (Zoom)
Natasha Tarpley is an acclaimed children’s book author and multimedia content creator. Her classic picture book, I Love My Hair!, an ode to Black childhood and natural beauty, is a staple of national school and library reading lists. Tarpley will be presenting her most recent picture book, Keyana Loves Her Friend, in collaboration with the NAA and NUBAA. Learn more about this new book and its themes of conflict resolution and the importance of friendship.
Northwestern Intersections Podcast with Author and Essayist Leta McCollough Seletzky ’98
Leta McCollough Seletzky is an author and essayist who was selected as a National Endowment of the Arts 2022 Creative Writing Fellow. Her essays have received numerous honors and been featured in major publications including the Atlantic and the New York Times. Her new memoir, The Kneeling Man, reflects on her father’s time as an undercover spy who was present at the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Join us as we discuss her writing and what drives her as an essayist and author.
Listen to "Memoir, Family, and Truth, with Leta McCollough Seletzky ’98" on Spreaker.Discover More Books by Black Alumni Authors
The NAA’s new Alumni Authors CATalogue helps book lovers find their next great read and gives alumni authors an opportunity to promote their work. The searchable directory features an expanding literary collection with more than 50 books written by Black alumni covering genres such as biography, social sciences, personal development, and historical fiction. Bibliophiles can filter results by more than 30 genres as well as by authors’ self-reported identity and graduation decade from the 1950s to the 2020s.
“I Know Them!” Help Identify People in Photographs Depicting Black Student Life
Help us unveil the narratives of Black student life at Northwestern from the 1960s to the early 2000s. The Northwestern University Libraries recently digitized over 1,400 photos from the records of the Northwestern Community Ensemble and NUBAA, but the images lack contextual information. Your input enhances the research value of these collections.
The Legacy of L. Stanley Davis ’75, ’97 MA and the Northwestern Community Ensemble
Prior to his death in 2023, Northwestern Community Ensemble (NCE) co-founder L. Stanley Davis provided a behind-the-scenes video tour of the Ebenezer AME Church in Evanston. In this four-part series filmed by University Libraries Curator of the Black Experience Charla Wilson, Davis shares the history of the relationship between Northwestern’s gospel choir and the church.
All are invited to attend when Northwestern Religious and Spiritual Life honors Davis on Sunday, February 18, at 3 p.m. at Alice Millar Chapel on the Evanston campus. “O, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing: A Musical Tribute to L. Stanley Davis” will be a musical experience that celebrates the Black gospel tradition.
