The College of St. Scholastica will celebrate Black History Month with an evening of free food, activities and performances on Thursday, Feb. 14, in Tower Hall on the St. Scholastica campus. The event is open to the public; youth and families are encouraged to attend.

Activities begin at 5 p.m. in the Student Union, which is in the lower level of Tower Hall. A free dinner buffet will be served beginning at 5:30 p.m. and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Performances begin at 6:45 p.m. in Mitchell Auditorium. Parking is available in the Mitchell parking lot, and shuttles will offer rides from the campus’s lower lots by Chester Creek.

Voices of Vision, a youth gospel choir, will open the performance part of the program. Other performers include Universal Dance Destiny, a youth dance group from the Twin Cities; local hip-hop group 2one8; spoken word artist Donny Morris, a member of Minnesota Mantra; and Sister Naomi Tamar, poet and motivational speaker.

Pre-performance activities will include Valentine card-making and other crafts, games, and mini-workshops on poetry and step (dance). Youth art will also be on display. Local church groups and nonprofit agencies supporting youth activities will host information tables.

St. Scholastica student groups will also host information tables. The Kaleidoscope Multicultural Club (KMC) will sell Valentine’s Day flowers and other items as a fundraiser for the club. The KMC is a student organization that promotes diversity throughout the campus and the Duluth community.

“The primary goals of the evening are to celebrate diversity and promote local youth talent,” said Stacey Skan-Allen, St. Scholastica’s multicultural coordinator. “However, we also want people to get to know and support each other.

“Diversity is more than just numbers, it’s about celebrating our humanity. It’s about appreciating and having compassion for one another.”

The KMC and The College of St. Scholastica Multicultural Program are cosponsors of the event. For more information, contact Skan-Allen at (218) 723-6453 or sskan@css.edu.