SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) will celebrates Black History Month with a special program, "Year of the Return: The Arrival of Enslaved Africans to the USA," which will be virtual and open to the public.

Dr. Malika Carter, chief diversity officer at ESF, will host the Zoom program to share knowledge about "The Year of the Return," and subsequent acknowledgements referred to as “Beyond the Return.” In 2019, Ghana successfully hosted "The Year of Return," a year-long program of activities to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first recorded enslaved Africans in Virginia in the United States. ESF's program will be held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 10. Registration is required; to register, visit  https://linktr.ee/esfdiversity. For additional information contact Dr. Lizette Rivera, director of student inclusion initiatives and special assistant to the CDO, at lrivera@esf.edu.

As part of the 2021 Black History Month celebration being organized by Beauchamp Branch Library, a virtual yoga session will be offered over Zoom. To join, click on the link below. 

Thursday Morning Roundtable will continue in a virtual format to follow recommended health guidelines. On Feb. 18, Cedric Bolton, poet and adjunct professor at Syracuse University, will speak about Black History Month.

Mary Lee Hodgens, associate director of Light Work, will moderate a virtual conversation and Q&A with Aaron Turner from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18. For the past seven years, Turner has been making "Black Alchemy." This photographic series and soon-to be-book published by Sleeper Studio uses still life, abstraction, appropriation, and occasional painting to reflect the complex historical representation of Black identity and culture.

The Narratio Fellowship is an annual intensive storytelling and leadership program aimed at providing resettled refugee youth with the tools and resources to share their stories on their own terms with local and global audiences. Under the guidance of 2020 Narratio Artist-in-Residence Ana Vîjdea, this year’s class have developed six short-form autobiographical documentaries that offer intimate and powerful glimpses into their lives, identities and memories—from epic journeys to daily routines. This virtual event marks the inaugural public screening of the Fellows' films, which will be followed by a discussion of the power of storying lives through film.

Say It Loud! and celebrate Black History with hosts Black Artist Collective and the Community Folk Art Center. The event will feature spoken word poetry, comedy and some of Syracuse's finest Black performing artists. Register online at the link provided.

New York Times best-selling author Mateo Askaripour aims to empower people of color to seize opportunities for advancement, no matter the obstacle. His first novel, Black Buck, takes on racism in corporate America with humor and wit. He will discuss the book and his process as a writer.

A community forum on The Citizen Review Board and Syracuse Police Department's police reform/reinvention draft plan will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 3, virtually.

The city of Syracuse will hold a Public Safety Committee meeting at 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 10, via WebEx. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the Syracuse Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative Plan.

WebEx Meeting Link: https://syrgov.webex.com/webappng/sites/syrgov/meeting/download/5fe0c5a4033b472e9a437f064935a893?siteurl=syrgov&MTID=m2451bf0b062119813d9822627263157c

If prompted, password is: FcVN2cimq86

Dial-In Option: 1-408-418-9388. Access Code: 129 765 4186.