UNMC and The Nebraska Medical Center will sponsor a series of events honoring national Black History Month during the last week of February. This year there will be something old (traditional), something new, something artistic and an encore presentation of something that just blew away the Martin Luther King Day audience.
The schedule is as follows:
- Monday, Feb. 23, noon to 1 p.m., Wittson Hall Amphitheater – Tuskegee Airmen display and presentation;
This piece, titled ‘Dancers,’ is an example of Neville Murray’s work.
- Tuesday, Feb. 24, noon to 1 p.m., Eppley Science Hall – Nu Beginning, a contemporary music quartet of four African American college women;
- Thursday, Feb. 26, noon to 1 p.m., Wittson Hall Amphitheater, videotape encore presentation of Tony Brown, acclaimed journalist and talk show host, speech at Storz Pavilion Jan. 19 for Martin Luther King Day commemoration; and
- Friday, Feb. 27, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., East Atrium of Durham Outpatient Center (by the University Hospital gift shop), Neville Murray, 2003 Moja Art Festival poster artist, will host a display of his artwork.
All of these events are open to all campus students, faculty and staff members. There will be free sack lunches for the first 50 people to attend the Tuskegee Airmen and Nu Beginning events, and free lunch for the first 25 people to attend the encore presentation of Tony Brown.
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An artist’s rendention of the Tuskegee Airmen signature “Red Tail” aircraft. |
The Tuskegee Airmen were an all African American pursuit squadron based in Tuskegee, Alabama, in 1941. These individuals overcame segregation and prejudice to become one of the most highly respected fighter groups of World War II. They proved conclusively that African Americans could fly and maintain sophisticated combat aircraft. The achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen, together with the men and women who supported them, paved the way for full integration of the U.S. military.
Representatives from the Alphonsa W. Davis chapter (Nebraska) will bring memorabilia and other Tuskegee Airmen artifacts and talk with the audience about America’s most famous African American military unit of World War II. In addition, Omaha is the 2004 host city for the national convention of the Tuskegee Airmen. It is estimated that up to 2,500 Tuskegee Airmen, family and supporters will attend the convention at the Qwest Center Omaha on Aug. 2-8.
Nu Beginning is a group of young women who have been singing together for more than 
five years – Rachel Sanders, Charlotte Cox, Kionna Shaw and Christ Woods. Sanders, Cox and Woods are native Omahans and Kionna is a military child whose parents were stationed at Offutt Air Base and decided to stay in Omaha. All four girls got to know each other as solo artists singing in local competitions and decided to join their voices together while attending classes at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Each member of Nu Beginning has her own special qualities and style and the sum total is a group sound that is drawing more and more attention each year.
Nu Beginning is a mixture of jazz, classical, R&B and gospel inflections, and lately, according to Sanders, the group even throws down a little Shania Twain. Their first CD is currently in the mixing and song selection stage and is expected to be released in the spring. In 2002 and 2003 the group took second place in a national competition in Hollywood for new best talent. They sang in the female vocalist category against more than 500 other performers. They are known for bringing a lot of fun to an event and enjoy interaction with the audience. Their message is simple – “Come and be surprised.”
To those among the more than 300 people who experienced Tony Brown at MLK Day on 
campus, he needs no introduction. To everyone who heard about his speech, the advice is simple. Don’t miss him this time. He delivered one of the most thoughtful, humorous, engaging reflections on Martin Luther King Jr. than most of the audience could remember ever hearing.
Murray’s artwork will cap off an event-filled week of reflections on African American history and culture.
For more information about next week’s events, contact Walter Brooks at 559-5768.