As part of the events of African American Heritage Celebration 2003, “Images and the History of African Americans in Coles County” will be in display cases on the ground floor of Old Main.

“The objective for putting photos in the Old Main display cases is to give more people the opportunity to see the graphic images,” said Onaiwu W. Ogbomo, African American studies associate professor.

Ogbomo said a project was done last spring for a graphic exhibition titled “Graphic Images and the History of African Americans in Coles County.”

“Past spring, it was only exhibited for two months. This time it will be displayed for six months to a year so those who haven’t seen it will have the opportunity to,” Ogbomo said.

“The photos focus on the history of African Americans from the 19th Century to the present,” Ogbomo said. “The images are dressed in everyday life, social, religious, economic, political and cultural activities.”

The photographs will be displayed in display cases on the ground floor of Old Main from Jan. 20 to March 15.

“The university and the Coles County community can have a second opportunity to see photographs of African Americans in the county,” Ogbomo said.

The events of African American Heritage Celebration 2003 will be sponsored by the American Marketing Association, Art Department, African American Studies Program, Black Student Union, Community Blood Services of Illinois, Dean of Arts and Humanities, EIUnity, English Department, Office of Civil Rights, Office of Minority Affairs, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., Speech Communications Department, Tarble Arts Center and the University Board.