The following events and resources were created and compiled by colleagues from the Mass General Office of Equity and Community Health, Center for Diversity and Inclusion, and the Radiology Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Please check back in regularly for updates.
Mass General is delighted to celebrate Black History Month. The theme for this year is “The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity” and we look forward to celebrating our Mass General family members, as well as the Boston community and their contributions to create a more equitable society.
Check out the events and resources below!
Tuesday, February 2nd, 12:15pm
Understanding the Challenge of a Black Woman Academic Physician Scientist
Host: MGH Committee for Latino Initiatives
Wednesday, February 3rd, 12pm
Black Excellence at Mass General Brigham: Virtual Launch Event of the System- wide Employee Resource Group
Hosts: Mass General Brigham Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion
Wednesday, February 3rd, 5pm
Medical Apartheid Goes Viral: How Infection Catalyzes Bioethical Erosion, Public forum with Harriet Washington, MA
Hosts: Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics and the Tuskegee University National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care
Wednesday, February 10th, 6pm
Race in the Public Dialogue: The Coronavirus Exposes America’s Public Health Crisis- Racism
Host: Museum of African American History
Wednesday, February 17th, 5pm
The Politics of Health Policy: Integrating Racial Justice into Health Care and Clinical Research, Public Forum with Daniel Dawes, JD
Hosts: Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics and the Tuskegee University National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care
Thursday, February 18th, 6pm
Nantucket Lecture Series: White Allies and Religious Tolerance: Quakerism Impact on Nantucket Island Slavery
Host: Museum of African American History
Friday, February 19th, 12pm
Code Your Own Video Game with MakeCode Arcade and Microsoft New England!
Host: MGH Youth Scholars Program, MGH Radiology Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Research Subcommittee and MGH WARE
*This is a Mass General/MassGeneral Brigham internal event, space is limited.
Monday, February 22rd, 7:30pm
Soul Break with Front Porch and Fam
Join us for this digital concert featuring the work of Porch Fam and Friends, Castle of Our Skins, Hipstory, and BAMS Fest.
Hipstory’s Vitiligo
Vitiligo is a short psychological suspense/thriller that tells the story of a doctoral student who is guest lecturing a series on the inequalities/disparities for African Americans in media representation. This movie, directed by Cliff Notez, follows this student navigating the day after a traumatic event has happened. We will walk our way through their psychotic break, trying to piece together clues that will point us to its cause. Vitiligo hopes to highlight Black mental health, structural racism as it relates to mental and physical health of the oppressed, and the continuous struggle of conscience duality.
Castle of Our Skins’s Soundbath for the Solar Plexus Chakra
“Every single moment of surrender is a peace treaty with my soul.” In South African composer Monthati Masebe’s Soundbath for the Solar Plexus Chakra, you are invited to surrender and let go of what holds you back. With dance and choreography from VLA Dance, this Castle of our Skins production was performed in November 2020 as part of its “Black Love” project: a multimedia healing journey through music, poetry, and dance.
BAMS Fest’s GroundBeat Featuring Tim Hall
The BAMS Fest curated GroundBeat was presented in 2020 as part of the Boston Esplanade’s FREE Riverfront Music Series. The series aims to increase performance opportunities for producers and artists who are committed to increasing inclusivity and diversity in Boston’s arts scene.
Hosts: The Front Porch, MGH Office for Equity & Community Health, MGH Center for Diversity & Inclusion, MGH Radiology Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, The MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology
Tuesday, February 23rd, 12pm
Keynote Address and Celebration Program: History, Art, Poetry and Music with a keynote address by Dr. Hasan Jeffries
Host: MGH Radiology Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
Tuesday, February 23rd, 6pm
American Stories, Inspiration Today: The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr, Malcom X and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation, Author Anna Maliaka Tubbs
Hosts: Museum of African American History and the Boston Public Library
Tuesday, February 23rd, 7:30pm
The Front Porch Theater Young Nerds of Color
A play based on interviews with scientists and students of science who come from backgrounds underrepresented in professional science.
The goal is to bring to the stage deeply-felt stories of people passionate about science for whom the journey has been complex.
Hosts: The Front Porch, MGH Office for Equity & Community Health, MGH Center for Diversity & Inclusion, MGH Radiology Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee
Wednesday, February 24th, 2pm
COVID-19 and the Impact on the Black Community– A conversation with MGH members and community partners
Hosts: MGH CARE and MGH Radiology Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
Wednesday, February 24th, 5pm
The History of Structural Racism in Charlottesville: Legally enforced Segregation and Its Impact on Health, Public Forum with Dayna Bowen Matthew, JD, PhD
Hosts: Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics partnered with the Tuskegee University National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care
Wednesday, February 24th, 6pm
AfrobeatFit ® Takeover!
A 60-minute high intensity cardio workout where music and movement derive from the artists and influencers of Africa. Instruction is interspersed with facts about Afro dance history.
Hosts: MGH Center for Diversity & Inclusion
Thursday, February 25th, 12pm
Code Your Own Video Game with MakeCode Arcade and Microsoft New England!
Host: AMMP and MGH Radiology Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
*This is a Mass General/MassGeneral Brigham internal event, space is limited.
Thursday, February 25th, 2pm
Women’s Network Event, Chronicle, Lead by Nneka Nwosu Faison
Host: Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
Thursday, February 25th, 3pm
Black History Month Virtual Film Festival: “GLORY” & Discussion of ‘GLORY’ with filmmaker, Ed Zwick, and Leon Wilson, President & CEO, MAAH
Hosts: Museum of African American History and The Boston Globe
Thursday, February 25th, 7:30pm
Fabulation or The Re-Education of Undine, by Lynn Nottage
Fabulation is a social satire about the ambitious and bougie Undine Barnes Calles, whose husband suddenly disappears after embezzling all of her money. Pregnant and on the brink of social and financial ruin, Undine retreats to her childhood home in Brooklyn’s Walt Whitman projects, only to discover that she must cope with a crude new reality. Undine faces the challenge of transforming her setbacks into small victories in a battle to reaffirm her right to be.
Hosts: The Front Porch, MGH Office for Equity & Community Health, MGH Center for Diversity & Inclusion, MGH Radiology Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, The MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology
*Pay what you wish
We hope this curated list helps you celebrate Black History Month by supporting our local Black community and family![/ultimate_heading]
Suggested readings
- My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem
- Free Your Mind: An African American Guide to Meditation and Freedom by Cortez R. Rainey
Dining suggestions
- Oasis Restaurant, 33 Hancock St, Dorchester, MA 02125
- Juice Up, 1290 Blue Hill Avenue, Boston, MA 02126
Wellness and Mindfulness
You Good Sis? is a yoga collective, co-founded by Rach Junard and Jaylee Momplaisir. It was designed for Black and Brown women and femmes in the Boston area and beyond, centered around physical, mental and spiritual health. Enjoy this calming meditation led by Jaylee Momplaisir, and stick around after to hear from the founders about why they started You Good Sis? and what other services they have to offer!
Suggested readings
- Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Adichie
- The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity by Nadine Burke Harris, MD
Dining suggestions
- Savvor Restaurant and Lounge, 180 Lincoln St, Boston, MA 02111
- Tawakal Halal Cafe, 389 Maverick St, Boston, MA 02128
Wellness and Mindfulness
- Museum of Fine Arts exhibit: Writing the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop GenerationNow through May 16th, enjoy this Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) exhibit which highlights Jean-Michel Basquiat’s work in relation to hip-hop and reflective portraiture of his Black and Latinx friends.
- Yoga as a Living Practice: Ahimsa meditation session, facilitated by Yoga Alliance’s Dr. Yasmene Mumby.
Suggested readings
- Abby Invents series by Arlyne Simon, PhD
- I Am Enough by Grace Byers
Dining suggestions
- Luanda Restaurant & Lounge, 453 Centre St, Brockton, MA 02302
- Everyting Jerk Jamaican Authentic Cuisine, 235 Plymouth St, Holbrook, MA 02343
Wellness and Mindfulness
- The Yogi Yogi Sisters strive to promote and encourage overall wellness in children and adults through an active lifestyle and healthy choices, while having fun too. Try this beginner kid’s yoga routine with the family.
- Integrative Counseling Services: Dr. Jodi Mullen and Andrew Mullen lead a guided meditation session that parents and children can enjoy together. Follow along to their video here.
Suggested readings
- How To Be An Antiracist Ibram X. Kendi
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Singsby Maya Angelou
Dining suggestions
- Singh’s Roti Shop, 692 Columbia Road, Dorchester, MA 02125
- The Tipping Cow Ice Cream, 415 Medford Street, Somerville, MA 02145
Wellness and Mindfulness
- Jessamyn Stanley lets us in on a secret: Finding ultimate peace and calm does not exist. Instead, focus on listening to your thoughts and allowing them to be there. Eventually, that chatter will clear, and you’ll find a calm and peaceful state. Meditate with her here.
- Afrobeat Fit is a 60-minute high-intensity cardio workout, where the music and movements derive from the artists and influencers of Africa. The instruction is interspersed with facts about African dance history. Visit their site to sign up for classes or follow them on Instagram to view classes on demand!
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