Heritage & Health Series Program
Black History Month 2026
Leaning into AI - Ancestral Intelligence
Please join us in community, celebration and love for our BHM events in February. Check the campus events calendar for all upcoming events.
Wednesday, Feb. 4
Black History Month Opening Ceremony
Noon –1 p.m. in Dining Hall
We'll open Black Heritage Month with joy and celebration of the African diaspora, along with food, drinks, and dancers. Join us for the Afro-futurism inspired opening of Black Heritage Month.
Friday, Feb. 6
Special Guest Honorable Associate Judge Robert R. Rigsby
4– p.m. in Room 5015
We invite you to join us for our 2026 Black History Month Keynote event to celebrate Leaning into AI: Ancestral Intelligence. We are especially honored to welcome our keynote speaker, the Honorable Associate Judge Robert R. Rigsby of the District of Columbia Superior Court, whose life’s work embodies the very principles we seek to uplift - honoring the profound legacy of our ancestors and recognizing how their leadership, sacrifice, and collective wisdom continue to shape our present and guide our future. As part of this observance, we are paying special homage to Historically Black Greek Letter Organizations, whose enduring commitment to service, scholarship, leadership, and justice has been foundational within our communities.
Tuesday, Feb. 10
Double Consciousness
Noon- 2:00p.m. Village Room 4223
Double consciousness is a student art display honoring the ancestral intelligence of W.E.B. Du Bois. Please join us for this visual depiction of the internal conflict scholars experience having to view themselves through the external lens of societal racism while also maintaining their own internal cultural self-perception.
Thursday, Feb. 12
The Embodied Legacy: Black History Month XR Showcase
10:30 a.m. – Noon in VR Lab
The Embodied Legacy is an immersive Black History Month experience designed to move participants beyond passive learning and into embodied understanding. This is a carefully orchestrated cultural experience that honors ancestral journeys while leveraging emerging tools to make history felt, remembered, and discussed.
Tuesday, Feb. 17
A Conversation with Poet Tshaka Campbell
Noon – 1 p.m. in BIPOC Center
Join us for a conversation with Tshaka Campbell. Tshaka is the first black, Santa Clara County Poet Laureate and has authored four books of poetry. A city of Milpitas and city of Sunnyvale commendation in the arts award recipient, Tshaka has also collaborated on projects with the World Health Organization (WHO), the De Young museum in San Francisco, the NUMU and Triton museums, and sits on the Board of Directors for Silicon Valley Creates arts council and Poetry Center San Jose. He has partnered with the Silicon Valley Transit Authority and community members to deliver youth programs centered around expanding poetry and literature. He has 4 spoken word albums with his most recent release "NKISI" currently available on all streaming platforms.
Wednesday, Feb. 18
Virtual Artist Talk with Photographer Kevin Wurum
Noon– 1 p.m. Join via ZOOM
Kevin Wurm, a self-taught photographer based out of Memphis, Tennessee, has worked with well-known publications
such as Reuters and The New York Times. Specializing in portraiture, photojournalism,
and fine art, Kevin's creative prowess emanates from his profound connection with
his subjects and environment. His versatility, perceptive awareness, and innate gift
for empathetic communication converge seamlessly to yield photographs that capture
the essence of moments, etching them into the tapestry of time with intimacy and grace.
Seen In: Reuters, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Yahoo News, NBC News, NPR, CNN, PBS, 2024 Visa pour l'Image Photo Festival and more...
- Catchlight Local Fellow - RFA Corp Member - MLK50 Staff Photographer
- Eddie Adams Class of XXXV • Colton Family Award Recipient
- Washington D.C. Thomson Reuters 2023 Photo Intern
To view Kevin's work,
- visit photosbywurm.com
- follow him on Instagram @photosbywurm
Thursday, Feb. 19
Face & Figures — Five Principles of Illustration
10–11:50 a.m. in Room 1601
This artist talk and demonstration will present the artist’s background, materials,
subjects, and the techniques he employs in his portrait and figurative work. The presentation
will focus on five core principles of illustration: gesture, anatomy, likeness, light
and shadow, and reference. These concepts will be explored through practical examples
drawn from his professional career, including original artwork, time-lapse videos,
and a live instructional demonstration.
In addition, the talk will address the emergence of artificial intelligence and its
impact on the contemporary art world, with a focus on the enduring value of human
creativity and strategies for protecting artistic authorship. Time will be allotted
for questions, and, if time permits, the artist will also discuss the creative process
behind the San Carlos Centennial Mural.
Artist Bio
Shari Bryant began her formal studies in art more than two decades ago at the University of Florida, where she completed an undergrad in Studio Art and a minor in Japanese language. She developed a love of portraiture working as a caricature and portrait artist at the Walt Disney World Resorts for a summer job. Shortly after graduation, Shari began a career in project management at video game publisher Electronic Arts.
Twenty years later, Shari resumed her art studies, pursuing an MFA in Illustration at Academy of Art University in San Francisco. By day, she works as the Director of Program Management at a local technology firm. In the evenings, she works at her art studio Shari Bryant Creative, which opened as part of the Art Bias community in October of 2021. Shari was named an Individual Artist Fellow for the California Arts Council in 2023 and in 2025 was one of three lead artists commissioned to paint the Laurel Street Centennial Mural by the city of San Carlos.
Friday, Feb. 20
Iconography in the Continental Crossroads of the Sang Mêlé: Guillaume Guillon-Letière’s Oath of the Ancestors (1822) by Cynthia Brannvall
Noon - 1 p.m. Join via ZOOM
Oath of the Ancestors (1822) by Guillaume Guillon Lethière is a neoclassical painting depicting the fathers of the Haitian Revolution, Sang Mêlé (mixed race) general Alexandre Pétion and Black general Jean-Jacques Dessalines. Artist and Professor Brannvall uses frameworks to expand our understanding of the historical context in which the painting was created to include the importance of Vodou ceremonies as the organizational network for the Haitian Revolution and Yoruba influence in the diaspora as a force of empowerment and agency for enslaved people.
Tuesday, Feb. 24
Immigration Panel with Karĩmi Ndwiga
10:30am.–Noon Location TBD
Is immigration really a Black issue? What do slave patrols of the past have to do with the immigration enforcements of the present? How are Black people treated in immigration detention centers? What does the term "crimmigration" even mean?
We'll discuss these questions and more during our interactive workshop on the importance and intersections of Blackness, migration, and storytelling facilitated by Kenyan-American migrant justice organizer and poet, Karĩmi Ndwĩga (she/they).
Rooted in community and solidarity, Karĩmi Ndwĩga (she/they) holds an A.A. in Sociology from Santa Ana College and a B.A. in African & African-American Studies from UC Davis. Founder of the Orange County Black Migrant Strategy Table and the Digital Organizer at the Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project, she writes and organizes towards the total liberation of all Black people and deeply believes that there is enough freedom for us all.
To learn more before the workshop, check out these free resources.
Wednesday, Feb. 25
BHM Closing Ceremony
6–7:30 p.m. in Dining Hall
This closing event honors the Historically Black Greek Letter Organizations, whose enduring commitment to service, scholarship, leadership, and justice has been foundational within our communities. Representatives from the local chapters of the Divine 9 will table with information about their organizations and how to get involved. Local university students will perform a step show.
Complimentary food and beverage will be provided.
Thursday, Feb. 26
Umoja Program Spotlight Poster Session
Noon–1 p.m. in 1900 Administration Building
Join us for our daytime Black History Month closing event where scholars of the Foothill Umoja Program will be highlighted. This joyful celebration will honor the scholars’ achievements and the communities that support them. Light refreshments provided.
Additional Community Events and Resources
Coming Soon
Questions? Please contact Victoria Strelnikova at strelnikovavictoria@fhda.edu.
BHM Planning Committee Members
Thank you to all our students, faculty and staff who helped plan our BHM events this month.
- Dr. Tiffany Rideaux
- April Henderson
- Natalie Hansen
- Judith Walgren
- Dr. Lisa Hills
- Christopher Yang
- Noor Dean Musleh
- Keion Ashjaee- Marshall
- Cynthia Brannvall
- Fountainetta Coleman
- Melvishia Gaines
- Dr. Baba Kofi Weusijana
- Hilary Gomes
- Victoria Strelnikova
