Four Ithaca College students will explore the ways societal rhetoric and historical narratives have impacted black identity in the United States during a presentation on March 31 that is free and open to the public.
The presentation, entitled “Addressing the Black (Mis)Education: Retelling the Narrative," is based on takeaways from their attendance at the 21st Annual Black Solidarity Conference. Brandon Paul and Arlana Shikongo, members of the class of 2017, and Anissa Ash and Efosa Erhunmwunse, from the class of 2018, attended the conference from February 11-14, held at Yale University in New Haven, C.T.
The theme of this year’s conference was “The Miseducation: Changing History as We Know It.” Conference attendees explored how black histories in particular have been manipulated or outright ignored in the U.S., and shared in untold histories and success narratives.
During their presentation at IC, Paul, Shikongo, Ash and Erhunmwunse will touch on such topics as Afrofuturism, or black representation and narratives in art and media, and how it can serve to correct falsely constructed black narratives; explore the differences between predominantly white institutions and historically black colleges and universities and the influences each type have on people of color within their communities; and how mistaken beliefs and false narratives cast a shadow on people of color when dealing with matters of mental health.
The students will present at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Klingenstein Lounge in the IC Campus Center.