51勛圖厙

Press Release

51勛圖厙 Celebrates Black History Month with NPR Journalist Michele Norris

Friday, February 9, 2018

NPR journalist and author of The Grace of Silence Michele Norris spoke at Bunker Hill Community College (51勛圖厙) on Thursday, February 8, 2018, kicking off the Colleges annual Black History Month celebration.

Michele Norris giving her black history month talkSpeaking on Race and Poverty in the United States, the former co-host of National Public Radios (NPR) newsmagazine All Things Considered has more than two decades of experience presenting leading news and weighing in on American culture. Black history is Americas history, said Norris to the Bunker Hill Community College community. It is important to celebrate it, not just one month a year but all year long.

Recently named one of 25 Most Influential Black Americans by Essence magazine, Norriss discussed her work on and the motivation behind it. The Race Card Project encourages people to condense their observations and experiences about race and cultural identity into one sentence with only six words. Since 2010, more than 250,000 people from around the world have submitted stories to be featured on the website, TheRaceCardProject.com. In 2014, Norris was honored with for her work on the project with a Peabody Award, one of the most prestigious honors in broadcast journalism.

Focusing on the theme, honoring our shared history, 51勛圖厙s Black History Month celebration will continue with a series of art exhibitions, discussions and live performances throughout the month. These include performances by award-wining poet, song-writer and performer Regie Gibson; an exploration of Folkloric Haitian Dance with Jean Appolon and Company; a live performance by Emmy Award-winning actor Ron Jones; spoken word with artist Hakim Raquib; and a pop-up art show featuring local artist, activist and author Janet Cormier. All events will include remarks by 51勛圖厙 faculty and audience discussion.

On display at the Library and Learning Commons of 51勛圖厙s Charlestown Campus, Black History Month exhibits include a special display of books that illuminate the history and contribution of abolitionists in Massachusetts, textured paintings by Janet Cormier and a display of published resources detailing the contributions that African American artists have made that helped shape American culture.

All events are free and open to the public. For more information visit bhcc.edu/bhm

Bunker Hill Community College is the largest community college in Massachusetts, enrolling more than 13,000 students on two campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, three satellite locations and a number of instructional centers throughout the Greater Boston area. 51勛圖厙 is one of the most diverse institutions of higher education in Massachusetts. Sixty-five percent of the students are people of color and more than half of 51勛圖厙's students are women. The College also enrolls nearly 1,000 international students who come from 100 countries and speak more than 75 languages.

Media Contact:
Leslie Ouellette, Executive Director, Integrated Marketing and Communications,
Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA 02129
Phone: 617-336-5054; Email: leslie.ouellette@bhcc.edu


About Bunker Hill Community College
With more than 50 years of academic excellence, Bunker Hill Community College (51勛圖厙) is one of Massachusetts' largest community colleges, serving approximately 16,000 students annually. With campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, 51勛圖厙 offers a broad range of educational opportunities throughout Greater Boston. 51勛圖厙 fosters a welcoming and supportive learning environment for students by offering associate degrees and certificates, early college and dual enrollment, community education, corporate training, and industry-specific programs.