For Joycelynn Phillips, African-American Heritage Month is much more than a celebration.

It is a reminder of how far the United States has come.

It reminds Phillips of how Americans have evolved on the issues of equality and diversity.

“It gives me pleasure in terms of I can see change within my own lifetime,” said Phillips, the Chairperson of the African-American Heritage Month planning committee. “Civil rights laws have been passed and it has given all Americans opportunities.”

The month of February is devoted to African-American history and Phillips said the celebration is vital to any American.

“African-Americans need to know their own history. I think that is very important,” Phillips said. “I think other Americans need to know African-American history beyond the month of February. We need to know and appreciate that African-Americans have contributed in many ways.”

Michael Loudon, on the other hand, feels that the importance of African-American Heritage Month still needs to be known.

“It’s really the untold American history month and it needs to run from February to February,” said Loudon, the acting coordinator of African-American Studies. “You can’t consider the contributions and repression of black Americans for only one month out of 12 and get very far and fast.”

Loudon said that he was in college right after the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X in the 1960s when he realized what he needed to do to improve his overall knowledge on the subject.

“Arriving on campus and coming and talking to fellow students, I came to terms with the need to revisit my high school sense of history,” Loudon said. “I needed to make it fuller, deeper and I had increasing awareness that the history of African-American struggles was really my struggle, too. That the races could not be separated, and destiny could not be separated.”

To commemorate Black History Month, Eastern has planned several events in February.

The African-American Heritage Celebration starts Friday and will last until Feb. 28.

A banquet, complete with a dinner and a magician, kicks off the celebration. Speakers and entertainment are planned for the entire month.

The Lost Boys of Sudan, a movie about three boys being forced into a refugee camp because of the war in Sudan, highlights the activities of the African-American Heritage Celebration.

The Lost Boys will be showing in Lumpkin Hall on Feb. 9, and after the movie at least one of the Lost Boys will be speaking.

“The story of the Lost Boys caught my eye because it is such a significant issue in terms of international significance,” Phillips said. “I thought that students had interest in the issue and I wanted to see what we could do to bring that to campus.”

After the movie, at least one of the Lost Boys is going to give a first hand account of his experience in Sudan, his transition to America and what the future looks like for his country.

Also, on Feb. 6, Jay Blackwell, the Director of HIV Education and Training for the Office of Minority Health Resource Center in Rockville, Md., will speak about HIV and AIDS.

“We wanted to give Eastern students as much information to be healthy, responsible and safe,” Phillips said.

Blackwell spoke last year and the students were so engaged in his presentation that the planning committee wanted him back, Phillips said.

“He’s very frank in giving information,” Phillips said. “He was really able to engage the students.”

Other events that are scheduled for the African American Heritage Celebration include a discussion on the book $40 Million Dollar Slave: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of the Black Athlete. The book is about how America responds to their African-American Athletes.

There will also be a presentation hosted by family members of the FX show “Black. White.”

Phillips said he hopes the events planned for the African-American Heritage Celebration spread knowledge about history and diversity.

“For (African-American students) to come here and be so far away from things that validate their culture it is important for the university to reach out to those students,” Phillips said. “It is also important for the university to expose non-African-American students to the contributions African-Americans have given to America.”

The Diaspora: From Africa to the New World

Calendar of events for African American Heritage Month

Friday 2

Reception and banquet with Walter King Jr. “The Spellbinder”

Co-sponsored by UB and Illinois Arts Council

5 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union

Monday 5

“The Covenant with Black America” book by Travis Smiley, presentation by Michael Loudon, Martin Hardeman, Craig Eckert and Kevin Anderson

6 p.m. in the Coleman Auditorium.

Tuesday 6

Jay Blackwell, director of HIV Education and Training, Rockville, Md.

6 p.m. in the Charleston/Mattoon Room in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union

Wednesday 7

National Black HIV Awareness Testing Day sponsored by Delta Sigma Theta

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the 1895 Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union

Thursday 8

Noon: EIUnity brown bag lunch in the 1895 Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union

5 p.m.: NAACP State of the Black Union Address in the Paris Room in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union

7 p.m.: “HIV Looks Like Me” presentation sponsored by University Board in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union

Friday 9

Movie: “Lost Boys of Sudan” with special guest speaker Peter Makuach. Co-sponsored by International Programs and State of Illinois Library Diversity Program at 6 p.m. in the Lumpkin auditorium

Sunday 11

3 p.m.: Student/faculty basketball game at in the McAfee Gym

7 p.m.: Unity Choir Gospel Explosion at in the Grand Ballroom in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union

Monday 12

“Charged and Ready! Understanding Credit and Identity Theft” presentation by Marissa Smith of Health Services

7 p.m. in the Coleman Hall auditorium

Tuesday 13

“Motown Night,” ESPNU Basketball game

7:35 p.m. in Lantz Arena

Monday 19

EIUnity Game Show: Who wants to be a.

7 p.m. in room 1501, the auditorium in Buzzard Hall

Tuesday 20

Black History Jeopardy sponsored by NPHC

7 p.m. in the Effingham Room in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union

Wednesday 21

“$40 Million Dollar Slave: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of the Black Athlete” by W. Rhoden. Presented by Kevin Anderson, Grace Buchanan, Craig Eckert, Michael Loudon, Willie Morris and Domesha Perkins

6 p.m. in the Oakland Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union

Thursday 22

“Idlewild” film sponsored by University Board

7 p.m. in the Buzzard auditorium

Friday 23

Comedian Tracy Ashley, sponsored by University Board

9 p.m. in 7th Street Underground

Saturday 24

Black Student Union presents: Miss Black EIU at 8 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.

Monday 26

“Representations of Revolution: The Legacy of Black Power in the Media & Culture” presented by Angela Aguayo, Tony Chauncey, Kristen Hoeri. Sponsored by communication studies.

6 p.m. in the Arcola/Tuscola Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union

Tuesday 27

Readings from famous NPHC members, sponsored by Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta

7 p.m. in the Martinsville Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union

Wednesday 28

FX “Black/White” TV show, sponsored by University Board

7 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union