Purdue Black Cultural Center announces fall Cultural Arts Series

"We are very excited about the events this fall," said center director Renee Thomas. "Studying the Gullah culture is a good way for students to learn from their heritage and gain perspective on modern culture."

The events in the series, which run throughout the fall semester, are part of a semester-long study of the culture of Gullah, a group of black Americans from South Carolina and the Georgia Sea Islands who have retained their African culture because of geographic isolation. All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

• Sept. 7, 7 p.m. Stewart Center, Fowler Hall. A concert by the Hallelujah Singers, a group celebrating the Gullah culture through music.

• Sept. 9, 3-5 p.m. Black Cultural Center. The center will kick off its study of the Gullah culture at "Friends and Family Day," immediately following the Purdue football game.

• Sept. 21-29. Yue-Kong Pao Hall of Visual and Performing Arts, Carol and Gordon Mallett Theatre. Sponsored in association with the Purdue Division of Theatre, "Seven Guitars" by August Wilson explores aspects of the African-American experience. Set in 1948, the story follows a small group of friends through hope, loss, jubilation and despair. Admission is $7.50 for the general public and $6 for students. For information, contact the Purdue Division of Theatre at (765) 494-3933.

• Sept. 22-24. The center welcomes the reunions of the Business Opportunity Program, Black Voices of Inspiration alumni and Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority alumnae during Homecoming weekend. More information and registration forms are on the Purdue Black Alumni Organization's Web site at http://www.pbao.org.

• Oct. 6-10. St. Helena Island and Charleston, S.C. The center's performing arts ensemble participants will travel to South Carolina to learn about the preservation of the Gullah heritage through music, poetry, dance and dramatization of the unique rituals that shape the Gullah culture. Sites will include the Penn Center, Avery Research Institute, Old Slave Museum and the Sweet Grass Makers Marketplace.

• Oct. 27-28, 7 p.m. Black Cultural Center. The performing arts ensembles will perform at the center's Coffee House.

• Nov. 18, 7 p.m. Stewart Center, Room 306. Emory S. Campbell, president of Gullah Heritage Consulting Services, will speak about the Gullah culture. Campbell has appeared on "60 Minutes," "The Today Show," the PBS special "Family Across the Sea" and the documentary "The Will to Survive, the Story of the Gullah/Geeche Nation."

• Dec. 1, 7 p.m. Stewart Center, Loeb Playhouse. The Cultural Arts Festival will feature the center's performing arts ensembles as they perform their talents of singing, drama, dance and creative writing. Admission is $7 for the general public and $5 for Purdue students.

For information about these events, contact the Black Cultural Center at (765) 494-3092 or go online.

Writer: Bethany Bannister-Andrews, (765) 494-2073, bbannister@purdue.edu

Source: Renee Thomas, (765) 494-3092, rathomas@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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