The College of Law, the Black Law Students Association and the Student Bar Association Diversity Committee are hosting a month full of events to commemorate and honor Black History Month at the University.

February is commonly recognized as Black History Month across the country.

The month-long schedule begins Wednesday with an “Opening Celebration” wine and cheese event from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Pedersen Pavilion. The event will feature a PowerPoint presentation on “Great African-American Legal Figures” and an inspirational message from Gutgsell Professor James D. Anderson, head of the department of Educational Policy Studies. The event is free and open to all students and the general public.

David Johnson, assistant dean of communications at the College of Law, said he is very excited to have Anderson speak.

“We are very pleased to have Professor Anderson for our kick-off celebration,” Johnson said. “It will be a great way to start the series.”

As part of the College of Law Social Justice Film Series, “Malcolm X: Make It Plain” will be shown at 6 p.m. on Feb. 9 in College of Law Room D. The highly acclaimed 1994 PBS American Experience documentary is about the life of the 1960s civil rights leader and Nation of Islam minister. There is no charge for the film and it is open to the public.

The Black Law Students Association will be holding a bake sale on Feb. 8, 9 and Feb. 15, 16 from 10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Pedersen Pavilion, with a variety of baked goods and desserts available for purchase.

The month-long series of activities will culminate with a keynote speech by Pulitzer Prize winning Swanlund Professor Leon Dash on Feb. 28. The keynote presentation will take place at 6 p.m. in College of Law Room D. Dash will present the lecture, “Skeletons in the Closet: Exposing the plight of the underclass and challenges for the 21st century.”

Anderson said the college is looking forward to bringing the “pioneer of immersion journalism” to speak at the end of the month.

Dash, a professor of journalism, Afro-American studies and law, was named to the Center for Advanced Study professorship. Before joining the Illinois faculty in 1998, Dash spent 34 years at the Washington Post, working on the City Desk, the Foreign Desk and the Investigative/Projects Desk. He won the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for a series on living in poverty. He is currently at work on a book on the survival mechanisms of African Americans who settled in Mattoon, Ill., after the Civil War. Dash, along with representatives from student organizations, will be available for media interviews prior to the lecture.

“If you have any goals or aspirations in the field of journalism, then Professor Dash should definitely be among your heroes,” Anderson said. “We are delighted to feature the professor as our keynote speaker for Black History Month.”