A volunteer fair and common hour programs will kick off the month's activities Jan. 20 - 24 in the University Center lobby. These programs will include opportunities for individuals and organizations to sign up for service days, a collection of donated mittens for those in need, a program on "Organizing Peaceful Protests," a performance by the University's Regenerations Choir and a video highlighting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights efforts. For more information, contact Vida Mays at (573) 290-5111 or Gretchen Weber at (573) 651-2280.

Also beginning on Jan. 21 and running through Feb. 28, University students from various academic disciplines will make presentations on significant events and individuals in African-American history to regional elementary school classrooms. For more information, contact Trent Ball at (573) 651-6135.

Throughout the month of February, student volunteers with the Sixth Annual Read-A-Thon will present multicultural literature and literature on historical Americans and their contributions to the development of the nation to early childhood and elementary school children. For more information, contact Joyce Renaud at (573) 651-2499.

The Annual Black History Month Book Sale will also take place throughout February on the first floor of the University Center. Hours are 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Mondays - Thursdays, 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information, contact Laurie Taylor at (573) 651-2737.

The Collegiate 100 Forum will be held at the Johnson Faculty Centre on Feb. 4 from 7 - 8:30 p.m. The open forum and discussion of the book, "Envy of the World: On Being a Black Man in America," is open to the public. For more information, contact Alan Byrd at (573) 651-2590.

An African-American Artists Showcase and Reception will be featured at the University Center Ballroom on Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. For more information, contact Arrick Jackson at (573) 986-6163.

An art historian from the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning at the University of Cincinnati will present a lecture Feb. 6 at Southeast Missouri State University titled "The 'New Negro' Movement: Arts in the 1920s and 30s."

Professor Theresa Leininger-Miller will speak 7 p.m. in Crisp Hall Room 125 in honor of Black History Month. Her lecture will focus on the work of African-American artists in the period now known as the Harlem Renaissance - a time when authors, musicians and artists focused on African-American identity, culture and history.

On Feb. 10, the Knowledge Bowl contest will challenge trivia buffs to test their knowledge of African-American history and culture. The Knowledge Bowl will take place in the University Center Club from 8 - 10 p.m., and prizes will be awarded. For more information, contact Christopher Johnson at (573) 986-6135.

The Minority Career Exploration Dinner on Feb. 12 will offer the University's minority students mentoring and networking activities in order to enhance their understanding of the significance and value of higher education in today's global marketplace. The guest speaker for the event will be Joyce Bracy Vaughn, director of the Student Counseling, Assessment and Development Center at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. For more information, contact Jerry Lee Westbrook at (573) 651-2268.

On Feb. 13 - 16, a Black Heritage and Civil Rights Tour will give Minority Students Programs and Student Support Services students the opportunity to visit historical sites and institutions of higher learning, including the Sloss Furnace Museum, the Tuskegee Institute and select cities in Alabama and Georgia. For more information, contact Tameka Herrion at (573) 986-6135.

Gerald Boyd, managing editor of the New York Times, will present the annual Michael Davis Lecture at 7 p.m. Feb. 16 in the University Center Ballroom. Sponsored by the Department of Communication, the event is free and open to the public. For more information on the lecture, call Dr. Ferrell Ervin at (573) 651-2241.

An open forum and discussion on the state of relationships and community between African-American men and women entitled "What Have You Done for Me Lately?: From Black Women to Black Men," will be held at the Johnson Faculty Centre on Feb. 20 from 7 - 8:30 p.m. The forum will be open to the public. For more information, contact Kim Stewart at (573) 651-2590.

A Gospel Explosion Feb. 22 will feature gospel and Christian songs performed by the Regeneration Gospel Choir and other participating college choirs at 4 p.m. in Academic Hall. The public is invited to attend. For more information, contact Rev. Charles Bobo at (573) 335-6489.

A panel discussion about the structure of teacher education programs in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Far East will be held in the Scully Building, Room 423, on Feb. 26 from 12:15 - 1:15 p.m. The discussion is open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Simin Cwick at (573) 651-2008.

A campus-wide career fair will be held in the University Center Ballroom on Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. The fair will feature 25 to 50 potential employers hoping to recruit students for positions with their companies or organizations. For more information, contact Jerry Lee Westbrook at (573) 651-2268.

Relax and enjoy a variety of literary and musical works by African-Americans at the "Spoken Word Coffee House" on Feb. 27 from 7 - 10 p.m. at the Johnson Faculty Centre. Students will have the opportunity to share and discuss these works and share some of their own literary works as well. The public is invited to attend. For more information, contact Christopher Johnson at (573) 986-6135.

Black Movie Weekend Feb. 23 - March 1 will bring Southeast's Black History Month activities to a close with a showcase of decades of African-American cinema. The event is open to all Southeast students. For more information, contact Christopher Johnson at (573) 986-6135.

Additional information about Southeast's Black History Month activities can be obtained at www.semo.edu/mlk.