Events kick off Black History Month in NWA

Today marks the first day of Black History Month, an opportunity to learn about and celebrate Black heritage and culture.

Flashback: The origins of Black History Month date back to 1915 when Carter G. Woodson and Jesse E. Moorland founded what is now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. It's dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans.

• Every president has designated February as Black History Month since 1976.

Ways to engage, celebrate and learn: There will be several virtual and in-person events in NWA this month. Here's a starter list:

• Today at noon, The Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission will present "Journey through African American History," a virtual event.
• Today at 6pm, "Judas and the Black Messiah" will be shown at the University of Arkansas' Union Theatre. Following the movie, a conversation with Akua Njeri, who witnessed and survived the police raid and assassination of her fiancée, Fred Hampton, and Mark Clark will follow the screening.
• Tomorrow at 6:30pm, "Reflecting on a Moment in History: Emmett Till, a virtual event requiring registration. Fayetteville city council member D’Andre Jones and Rev. Wheeler Parker, Till’s cousin, will discuss how the murder and publicity around the case affected his family.

• Thursday, Feb. 3 at 6pm, A Level Up Career Fair pre-party event will be held at the University of Arkansas, ARKU 403. This is an opportunity for students to practice their elevator speech and learn about companies looking to hire diverse talent.

Of note: Arkansas Soul keeps a comprehensive statewide list of events for the month.