Dear Members of the Extended Fordham Family,

As you know, today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a day that usually stands at the head of the University’s Spring Semester calendar, and a day on which we usually gather on campus to remember and to thank God for Dr. King’s remarkable life and equally remarkable ministry devoted to the cause of civil rights and racial equality. It is especially sad that this year, of all years, the restrictions placed on us by the pandemic make it impossible for us to be together to remember him, to reflect on his life and on the prophetic role that he played (and continues to play from his place in heaven) in the life of our country.

Our inability to be with one another on this important (feast) day, however, doesn’t mean that we can’t remember, celebrate, and be bothered (in the most saving way imaginable) by his life and message. In fact, I think that letting the day pass by this year without notice and without deep and reflective prayer on the meaning of his life would be nothing less than sinful. Therefore, I invite you to join with me in reflecting on his life and ministry. As I do so, I wonder if I could share with you a story about Dr. King that has enriched my understanding of him. Many years ago (more than forty years ago, in fact), when I was a graduate student at the University of Chicago, I had the good fortune to be mentored by Martin E. Marty, a scholar who was considered to be the dean of historians of American religious history and a professor who rubbed shoulders on a regular basis with those who were making history—not just writing about it. In the course of one of the courses he taught me, he told his students a story about an experience he had with and of Dr. King that is still fresh in my memory.

After Dr. King had been the headliner at a conference that he had organized, Mr. Marty and his wife, Elsa Marty, invited Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, to dinner to celebrate the success of the program. When they arrived at the restaurant, the four of them were shown to a banquette at the back of the restaurant. Mr. and Mrs. Marty scooted into the inner seats against the wall and began to settle in. Dr. and Mrs. King just stood there. After a few awkward moments, Dr. King simply said that he and his wife would prefer the seats against the wall. Mr. and Mrs. Marty slid out of their seats immediately and Dr. and Mrs. King took their places. After they had all settled in, Mr. Marty asked Dr. King why he wanted the seat against the wall (since Mr. Marty had thought that he would prefer a seat that would be less confining). Dr. King sighed and said, “I believe that I will be assassinated. I just want to be able to look the man who is carrying it out in the eyes as he pulls the trigger.”

As you might imagine, we all gasped when Mr. Marty shared this story with us. Because for the first time in our lives, we began to understand just how costly Dr. King’s prophetic ministry was, and how reconciled he was to embracing the cross that he had taken up in assuming that ministry. After hearing that story, I saw him as a prophet who knew full well the cost and burden of the role he played—not for himself but for his community and for the whole nation. A prophet. Not a role one would choose for oneself. Not a cross that is light. Not a cross that is easy to bear. But it was clear that Dr. King accepted the role with grace, with strong and serene conviction, and with deep love.

His biography makes it clear that it was a heavy and costly ministry that he took on. He was considered a troublemaker in his time. He was jailed by local police for leading nonviolent protests (most notably in Birmingham, Alabama). He was relentlessly investigated by the FBI. Ultimately, as he suspected, he was assassinated by a racist white man who could not abide the prophetic message that he delivered to a nation that was all too frequently unwilling to accept it. In spite of the treatment that he endured in his lifetime, however, Dr. King’s reputation and importance in American life has only grown in the last fifty-three years, thanks to the hard work of scholars, civil rights advocates, and journalists. Likewise, the centrality of Black people in American history is now rightfully acknowledged, thanks to the research done by generations of historians, sociologists, and writers.

Their work is not over, of course, nor is Black people’s struggle for full equality in our country. Now, I cannot presume to know what Dr. King would think of the state of race relations in America in the years since his ministry was cut short by a bullet. I am not wise enough to have an answer to the intractable problem of our national divide on race. But I know enough to know that I don’t want to be part of the problem. Nor do I want our beloved Fordham to be a part of the problem. I would much prefer to have Fordham be on fire (as Saint Ignatius would want it to be) and to set the world on fire for the cause of the Gospel, which is, as Dr. King knew with every fiber of his being, the cause of justice, and the cause of inclusive and redeeming love.

As a Jesuit, Catholic community of higher education, Fordham’s mission demands that we lean into such matters, however uncomfortable. Doing so is what our students expect of us, and less loftily but nonetheless true, ensuring racial equity is what a modern university must achieve to distinguish itself in a crowded and uncertain higher education landscape.

The University has a number of events scheduled for Black History Month, a list of which you can find on this page on the Fordham News site. The list will be updated with new events as they are confirmed (see the list for contact information if you would like to add or update an event).

Finally, know that you are all in my prayers, today and every day. I hope and pray that this month will mark the beginning of the healing process the country desperately needs, and a new attentiveness to the well-being of all Americans, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or political affiliation.

May God bless the United States. May God bless Fordham.

Sincerely,
Joseph M. McShane, S.J.

Monday, January 18 – Friday, January 22
MLK Week 2021: Social Media 
Timeline of Martin Luther King’s life on Instagram @FordhamOMA and @BlackHistoryatFordham

Monday, January 18, 3 p.m.
Virtual Storytime and Concert for Kids
The event will feature a story fitting for MLK Day, read by Miz Jade, featured in NYPL’s Drag Queen Story Hour, followed by performances from three acclaimed children’s musicians: Grammy Award winner Lucy Kalantari, Grammy nominee Joanie Leeds, and music and social justice artist Fyütch.  
Streaming live on the WFUV News YouTube channel. Sponsored by WFUV and New York Public Library

First two weeks of February, twice daily, 7:12 a.m. and 4:12 p.m.
Black History Minutes
Featuring historical episodes of the African American experience in NYC
Sponsored by WFUV

Wednesday, February 3, 12 p.m.
Gabelli Faculty-Lead Workshops
Marketing and Racial Implications with Dr. Peter Johnson (pending) and/or Dr. Ahir Gopaldas (confirmed)
Sponsored by the Gabelli School of Business

Friday, February 5, 8 p.m.
Celebrating Black Voices: Self-Made Film Discussion Group
As we celebrate Black History Month over the month of February, we will be discussing the docuseries, Self-Made. Watch four short episodes of the docuseries on Netflix prior to the discussion. This event will be hosted by Lecia Ductan, PMBA student and Ilze Frierson, Assistant Dean.
Sponsored by the Gabelli School of Business

Week of February 8
PRX’s Black Radio: Telling It Like It Was, 25th-anniversary special
The program covers the story of radio’s role in the 20th-century transformation of the African American community. First aired in 1996, the specials have been reformatted into six hours for 2021. Original host Lou Rawls guides us, with new narration from original producer Jacquie Gales Webb.
Sponsored by WFUV

Monday, February 8, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
GSS Black Student Caucus Meeting
Topic: Show, Sip + Tell (Part poetry slam, part book club, part art class; Bring your favorite beverage and experience everyone’s talents)
Sponsored by the Graduate School of Social Service

Monday, February 8, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
GSS Students Challenging Anti-Black Racism Caucus Meeting
Sponsored by the Graduate School of Social Service

Wednesday, February 10, 5 p.m.
Student Spotlight Series—Opposing Apartheid
R. Bentley Anderson, S.J. will be moderating a conversation with Jade Crichlow and Eric Purisic, students in his Fall 2020 History of South Africa course. This will be a 45 minute conversation based on the students’ final papers for the class.
Sponsored by the Department of African & African American Studies

Wednesday, February 10, 6:45 – 8:15 p.m.
GSS Black Alumni Caucus Meeting
Topic: The Influence of Social Media on Our Community
Topic Co-Facilitators: Shantel Robinson and Rupert Pearson
Sponsored by the Graduate School of Social Service

Wednesday, February 10, 6 – 7 p.m.
Celebrating Black Voices: Alumni Panel
As part of Black History Month, this alumni panel will focus on what it is like to be Black in the workplace. Hear from a panel of Black alumni who will discuss how their identity affects the work they do, how they show up, and more.
Sponsored by the Gabelli School of Business

Second two weeks of February, twice daily, 7:12 a.m. and 4:12 p.m.
Vignettes highlighting Black-owned businesses in the New York metropolitan region
Sponsored by WFUV

Tuesday, February 16
Kanaval
A three-part music and audio documentary hosted by Leyla McCalla of Carolina Chocolate Drops and Our Native Daughters. Kanaval covers the relationship between Mardi Gras and Kanaval, the importance of music in Haitian life, and the ways musicians and organizers in Haiti and New Orleans have navigated this year.
Sponsored by WFUV

Wednesday, February 17, 5 – 7 p.m.
Black Student Panel Discussion | Gabelli School
Video: Farrakhan on Donahue (1990)
Panelists: Diontay Santiago, Lecia Ductan, Azali Ward, and 2 additional ASILI students (pending)
Moderator: Clarence E. Ball III
Sponsored by the Gabelli School of Business

Wednesday, February 17, 12 p.m.
Celebrating Black Voices: Year of Yes Book Discussion Group
As we celebrate Black History Month over the month of February, we will be reading Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes. In this poignant, hilarious, and deeply intimate call to arms, Hollywood’s most powerful woman, the mega-talented creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal and executive producer of How to Get Away with Murder reveals how saying YES changed her life—and how it can change yours too. Join us for a small group discussion of Year of Yes.
Sponsored by the Gabelli School of Business

Thursday, February 18, 6 p.m.
Webinar: Black Lives Matter and the American Political Landscape
Sponsored by the Department of African & African American Studies

Friday, February 19, 8 p.m.
Gabelli Faculty-Lead Workshops
Big Data and Social/Racial Justice with Dr. Chaitra Nagaraja (pending)
Sponsored by the Gabelli School of Business

Wednesday, February 22, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Black Feminist Worldmaking Series with Bettina Judd of University of Washington
Do Not Despair, Turn to Fire: Lorde and Morrison on Feeling and the Work
Sponsored by the Department of Department of English, and the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Program
Contact: Sasha Panaram at [email protected]

Monday, February 22, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
GSS Black Student Caucus Meeting
Facilitator: Khalilah Daniels
Topic: The Isis Papers
Sponsored by the Graduate School of Social Service

Tuesday, February 23, or Wednesday, February 24
Racial Solidarity Network Spring 2021 training/workshop
Open to members of the Fordham community.
Option for hybrid or virtual attendance at registration

Wednesday, February 24, 3 – 5 p.m.
Fireside Chat and Interview | Gabelli School
Moderator: Dean Donna Rapaccioli, Dean of the Gabelli School of Business
Featuring: Mandell Crawley, Global Head of Human Resources for Morgan Stanley
Sponsored by the Gabelli School of Business

Friday, February 26, 8 p.m.
Black History Month Student Work Virtual Showcase | Gabelli School
The event will showcase the top submissions from Gabelli School students focused on action around Black History Month. Examples of student action include volunteering with a Black mission-driven organization and writing a reflection on your experience, a written reflection on BHM educational experiences; a personal action plan for incorporating social justice/anti-racist work into current or future career space, a spoken word BHM video, an original music BHM video, and original BHM creative writing/poetry.
Sponsored by the Gabelli School of Business

February, ongoing
MAP Reading Group: Afropessimism by Frank B. Wilderson III
The Fordham chapter of Minorities and Philosophy (MAP) is running a Reading Group throughout the year. In February they will be reading Afropessimism by Frank B. Wilderson III.
Sponsored by MAP and the Department of Philosophy
Contact: Ginger Guin, [email protected]

Wednesday, March 3, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Panel Webinar: Why is Nonprofit Leadership so White?
Sponsored by the Graduate School of Social Service

Monday, March 8
Black Feminist Worldmaking Series with Salamishah Tillet of Rutgers University
Sponsored by the Department of Department of English, and the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Program
Contact: Sasha Panaram at [email protected]

Date TBD
Book Launch: White Freedom: The Racial History of an Idea by Tyler Stovall
A celebration of the launch of Dean Stovall’s new book
Sponsored by the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer

Dates TBD
Black History Month Events Hosted by OMA
Watch this space for info on a Book Club, Firsts on the First (highlighting historic Black “firsts”), Black Networking Zoom with Fordham Alumni, Natural Hair Show, Paint Night/Day, “Colorism in the Caribbean,” and more. Includes in-person, hybrid, and virtual programs.
Sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the undergraduate student Black History Committee

Date TBD
You Should Know Their Names
A re-airing of the new WFUV News documentary telling the stories of seven Black New Yorkers whose names have been underrepresented in history
Sponsored by WFUV (also available now on WFUV.org)

Ongoing
Applications for 2021-2022 Undergraduate Cultural Programming Committee Leaders
Applicants for the Black History Committee will shadow this year’s committee. The other 5 committees also are accepting applicants for Cultural Programming Coordinators and Program Liaisons.

Follow @FordhamOMA and @BlackHistoryatFordham on Instagram for up-to-date information as February gets closer.

If you’d like to add a new event to this list, please email Diana Chan at [email protected].