Sinclair Community College students and faculty participated in a Black History Month open mic event on Thursday, Feb. 19 in the basement of Building 8.
Professor Furaha Henry-Jones helped organize the event. Students read both original work as well as work from noted African-American authors.
“I feel like Sinclair is the most diverse place I have ever worked,” Henry-Jones said. “There are younger students, older students, male, female, African-American, white and all different religious backgrounds.”
The event was part of the Call and Response series. The African-American history month open mic is a tradition at Sinclair that once was held in the evenings. Henry-Jones said the decision to hold it in the afternoon was meant to encourage more students to participate.
“We want to build a community of writers,” Henry-Jones said.
English faculty member William Loudermilk also helped with the event.
“We want to give students the opportunity to voice what they are working on, Loudermilk said. “We want to hear their viewpoint.”
Henry-Jones said that words carry great power and she hopes events like these allow students to not only share their thoughts, but to hear others thoughts as well.
“It’s about the respectful exchange of ideas,” Henry-Jones said.