VGCC Celebrates Black History Month, Hosts Panel Discussion

Vance-Granville Community College will host a panel discussion on race relations in honor of Black History Month in February. The public is invited.

The discussion, entitled “The Challenges and Rewards of Living in a Diverse Community,” will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 18 from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. in the Civic Center on the college’s main campus in Vance County.

Panelists will include community leaders such as Rev. Joseph L. Ratliff, a member of the Henderson-Vance County Human Relations Commission; Don Jenkins, a member of the Granville County Human Relations Commission; and Aaron Randall , an instructor and head of VGCC’s Sociology program.

The college will also celebrate Black History Month with an informational display in the Student Affairs Lounge in Building 8 on Main Campus. In addition, the VGCC Learning Resources Center will showcase books by African-American authors, and black history facts will be featured on the college’s web site (www.vgcc.edu).

On Monday, March 2, just after the end of the official Black History observance, the Touring Theatre of North Carolina will present The Life and Times of Fannie Lou Hamer in the VGCC Civic Center at 1 p.m. The play explores the life of Hamer, the daughter of a Mississippi share-cropper who became an effective civil rights organizer.

For more information, call VGCC Student Affairs at (252) 738-3234.