Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Robinson, and Thurgood Marshall are African-Americans whose names are in history books. It's the lesser-known, but equally impactful, African-Americans who members of the Black Student Union plan to highlight during Black History Month at the University of North Georgia's Gainesville Campus.
"A lot of people think Black History Month is about athletes and inventors," said Brittney Yancy, president of the BSU. "It's more than that."
Dr. Robert Robinson, director of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, agreed. He pointed to George "Crum" Speck, who is credited with creating the potato chip and serving it in restaurants.
"He just created the concept. Someone else came along and mass marketed it," he said. "There are a lot of African-Americans who made contributions like this and much more."
Sponsored by the MSA and BSU, the little-known African-Americans who impacted history will be featured during presentations from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14, in the Robinson Ballroom on UNG's Gainesville Campus.
Actress, filmmaker and author Jasmine Burke will be the keynote speaker from noon to 1 p.m. Feb. 21 on the Gainesville Campus. Burke has performed on the big and small screen in "The Secret Life of Bees," "Mississippi Damned," "The Vampire Diaries," "Army Wives," and "Drumline: A New Beat." She currently stars in Bounce TV's No. 1 original series "Saints & Sinners."
Yancy said after hearing Burke speak previously, she and her fellow BSU members asked her to come to UNG.
Click here to read more about UNG's Black History Month plans on all three campuses.
