February is Black History Month and Ocean County College’s Organization for Black Unity is celebrating. The theme for this year is “Black Migrations.” All events are open to the public and held on the OCC Main Campus, on College Drive in Toms River, NJ.

Saturday, February 23: 19th Annual Gospel Extravaganza, with the singing group Fire

6 p.m. • Grunin Center (Bldg 12) • Main Stage

An evening of song, dance, and gospel music. Tickets available at the Student Life Office, in the OCC College Center. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to OBU’s scholarship fund and cultural awareness trips.   Tickets: Adults $10 • Students, Seniors + Children (under 12) $5

Tuesday, February 26: Aisha Fukushima / Lecture

11 a.m.• Grunin Center (Bldg 12) • Main Stage

Singer, speaker, educator, and “RAPtivist” (rap activist) Fukushima founded RAPtivism (Rap Activism), a hip hop project spanning 20 countries and four continents, amplifying universal efforts for freedom and justice. She is a multilingual, multiracial African American Japanese woman who has done lectures and performances everywhere from the U.S. to France and beyond. Her work has been featured on TEDx and TV 2M Morocco, and in The Seattle Times, The Bangalore Mirror, HYPE, and South Africa’s #1 Hip Hop Magazine, among other places.

Wednesday, February 27: Workshop by Aisha Fukushima / Small Group Conversation

11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. & 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m. • Grunin Center (Bldg 12) • Main Stage

Free Yo Mind!: Through this multimedia performance lecture, Fukushima inspires audiences to critically engage with the roles of race, power, and oppression at play in our everyday lives. She speaks from her own experiences as a global cultural activist and organizer, and also turns the mic to audience members, encouraging them to recognize their own power as agents of change in their respective communities.

Who Run The World? Gender, Empowerment & Cultural Activism: In this highly dynamic workshop, Fukushima draws from her experience as an African American Japanese global cultural activist and feminist to explore the themes of women’s empowerment, feminism, and imagining a world beyond the gender binary.

Thursday, February 28: Lowering of the Black Flag

Noon • Flag Pole, Campus Mall

For more information, call Dr. Henry Jackson, Director of Academic Success, at 732-255-0400, ext. 2257, or email [email protected].

Ocean County College’s Black History Month events are sponsored by the OCC Organization for Black Unity and the Office of Student Life.