The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Division of Student Affairs, Black Student Awareness Committee, and other campus partners will host the third annual Black History Month program on Tuesday, Feb. 20. The event will be held in the Hill Student Center Ballrooms from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The theme is ‘African Americans and the Arts’. Attendees will learn about the contributions of black artists in various fields.
The program will include performances from the Xclusive Dance Company, Jasmine Williams, Wes Wright, and poets Salaam Green and Ashley Jones. A key part of the event is the inaugural Black Excellence Award. This will be presented posthumously to Kevin Turner, a notable figure in UAB’s history.
Kevin Turner was the director of the UAB Gospel Choir from 1994 to 2017. He is being honored for his contributions to UAB and the local communities. Turner’s research has been used in the curriculum of cultural diversity programs for Birmingham City Schools and the Music Educators National Conference. He also taught in the UAB School of Music and developed a course in the African American Studies program.