February is Black History Month, and CWU has many different events happening around campus to celebrate.

Nelson Mandela Tribute

The Center for Leadership and Community Engagement (CLCE) is putting on a Nelson Mandela Tribute. Areli Ruiz, the student leadership programmer for CLCE, is in charge of the tribute and other events.

“The tribute is a three day program starting off with an art walk. This entails having students come be inspired, and do some art work. It’s going to be kind of like a competition as well, so the public gets to vote on the winning art piece- and the winner will win a prize,” Ruiz said.

The art walk is on Monday, Feb. 11 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in SURC 137.

On the second day of the program (Tuesday, Feb. 12) the CLCE is hosting “Letters To Our Future,” which is happening from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in SURC 137A.

“Basically what that is- is we are having CWU students go and answer questions, reply to letters, based off the ones we got. The letters are from elementary age or seventh grade,” Ruiz said.

Continuing on Tuesday, Feb. 12, a new event is taking place in the SURC Pit at 4 p.m.

“This is an informal chat where we have the women’s rugby coach Trevor Richards come in and talk to the public. He has some insight about how Mandela was during that time and he witnessed the effects of the world cup and things of that nature,” Ruiz said.

Lastly, to close the three day program, the CLCE is hosting the “Mandela Effect,” which is a talent show case.

“This is where we tie in all those elements and try to portray him in the best way possible,” Ruiz said.

The Mandela Effect will take place on Feb. 13 in the SURC Theatre at 7 p.m.

The showcase will be filled with dancing, poems, singing and different groups that represent Nelson Mandela and pay tribute to him, according to Ruiz.

This event is free to all CWU students.

Museum of Culture and Environment

From Jan. 30 to March 16 the Museum of Culture and Environment will have an exhibit up to celebrate Black History Month in Dean hall. The exhibit comes from National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The NEH exhibit will provide visual culture and the struggle of civil rights. Lynn Bethke is the museum collections manager and provides the behind the scenes of the setup.

“The exhibit is very much focused on civil rights eras, 50s, 60s, and 70s, [and] racism during that time,” Bethke said.

According to their website, the Museum of Culture and Environment will be involved in other events such as “Being Black in Ellensburg,” “UN/ Belonging: Can people of color call Ellensburg home?” and “Intersectionality & Solidarity.”  These events will be taking place from Feb. 19 to Feb. 28.

DEC Exhibit

Paige Hall and Nat Mcmillion are student program coordinators for the Diversity and Equity Center (DEC) on campus. In addition to the exhibit in Dean hall, the DEC is building an exhibit called Civil Rights in the Pacific Northwest, which will be located in Black 105.

“This is more so about the civil rights that are happening in the current times in the PNW- focused mainly on the westside Seattle and a little bit of Ellensburg,” Hall said.

This will open Feb. 1 for the entire month from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mcmillion and Hall will be on student led panels for events such as “Being Black in Ellensburg.”

“This is the biggest rights exhibit CWU has put on. I would encourage everyone to come in with humility and an open mind,” Mcmillion said.