By Michelle Simakis

Posted February 7th 2012

The city will get about $250,000 more and will likely use it to pay for street and water line maintenance.

By Chris Isidore

Posted February 7th 2012

Almost 2 million more people say they’ve got jobs now than in August, driving the unemployment rate sharply lower during that time.

NEW� YORK (CNNMoney) — Companies are saying the job market is getting better. Workers are saying it’s already kicked into high gear.

Friday’s jobs report showed a gain of 243,000 jobs. But a separate survey of households used to determine the unemployment rate shows much, much stronger job gains.

The number of people saying they were employed increased by 631,000 in January alone. That’s the biggest one-month gain since just before the Great Recession started in late 2007.

And the three-month and six-month increases are similarly impressive — 1.1 million more say they have jobs compared to October, and nearly 2 million more people say they’re working since July’s reading.

That is the best six-month job gain since August 2005, when the unemployment rate was a healthy 4.9%. January’s unemployment rate is still a painfully high 8.3%. But the unemployment rate has fallen from 9.1% in the last six months on the strength of the increasing number of those saying they have found work.

So the spike in Americans saying they’re working could be an early sign of much stronger-than-expected economic growth ahead.

Typically economists pay more attention to the jobs number produced by the survey of employers than to the households survey. But the employer survey can miss hiring by very small businesses, start-ups and self-employed workers.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, says the household survey serves as a better sign of where the economy is heading at turning points like when it’s going into recession and when it’s ready to take off.

He said one reason job growth has been so disappointing since the official end of the recession in June 2009 is that there has been weaker than expected new business start-ups during that period.

He and other economists said this employment reading, and other data showing a pick-up in demand for credit by small businesses, makes them hopeful we’re finally getting that long-overdue business creation.

The jump in those saying they found work “probably represents people finally feeling good enough, and credit is flowing freely enough, to start businesses,” Zandi said. “That augers very, very well.” 

By John Hull, Yahoo Contributor Network

Posted February 6th 2012

(PHOTO: BY STUART SPIVCACK,  REMAINS OF YOUNGSTOWN IRON SHEET AND TUBE)

Youngstown, Ohio, was established in 1797 by New Yorker John Young, for whom it was named. It was incorporated as a village in 1848, then a city in 1867.

The story of the naming of Youngstown is pretty straightforward: Young’s Town. It is the many nicknames the city has received over the years that make for an interesting story.

The nicknames “Steel City” and “Steeltown, USA” describe Youngstown’s key role in America’s steel industry. Key players in the steel industry were Youngstown Iron Sheet and Tube and Republic Steel, among others.

Strikes at these mills, such as the “Little Steel Strike of 1939,” garnered national attention. During what was known as “Woman’s Day” on the picket line outside Republic Steel, the women took offense to Youngstown Police Captain Charley Richmond, who told them to go home where they belonged.

Richmond stated the women began cursing him and approaching, at which time a gas canister was deployed to disperse the crowd. The women’s husbands, members of the heavily Communist Committee of Industrial Organizations (CIO) labor union, then attacked the police. A melee occurred, including a firefight that left six dead.

Martial law was declared by Democratic Ohio Gov. Martin L. Davey, with the approval of President Roosevelt, and the National Guard was sent in to bring order.

Another strike in 1952 gained national significance when Democratic President Harry S. Truman seized control of Youngstown Sheet and Tube in order to avoid a strike during the Korean War. Out of this decision came the Supreme Court decision Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company et al. v. Charles Sawyer, Secretary of Commerce, 343 U.S. 579 (1952), which reaffirmed the limits on presidential power as established by the U.S. Constitution.

The eventual closing of the steel mills in the 1970s and ’80s led to the nickname “Rust City,” and the area became known as the “Rust Belt.”

Other dubious monikers given to Youngstown include “Mobtown,” ” Little Chicago,” “Crimetown, USA,” and “Bomb City” due to its extensive Cleveland and Pittsburgh mafia connections. The term “Youngstown tune-up” described the all-too-common method of assassinating mafioso, the car bomb. Check out AmericanMafia.com for more information.

A mafia-owned night club on Youngstown’s east side is said to have been frequented by Frank Sinatra. The bar is no longer there. Comedian Richard Pryor also stated in his concert performance “Live on the Sunset Strip” that he worked as an emcee at a mafia-owned night club in Youngstown, presumably the same one frequented by Sinatra.

Youngstown also became known as “Murdertown, USA” and “Yompton” (a play on words referencing Compton, California) due to the heavy presence of street gangs, with the 51/50 Bloodz being the dominant national gang set.

Youngstown also topped the list of dangerous cities as released by Quitno Press in 2001 and 2002.

But all of this takes away from the rich history of the city.

Youngstown is the birthplace of the Good Humor ice cream bar and inventor Harry Burt; Cream of Wheat icon model William H. Calbreath; and musical groups The Edsels, Glass Harp, The Human Beinz, and Billy Beck of the Ohio Players.

Also from Youngstown are the Warner Bros., who opened the Warner Theater downtown in 1931; the voice of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, Jim Cummings; Joe Flynn of “McHale’s Navy;” and “Married With Children’s” Ed O’Neill.

Sports figures include IBF lightweight champion Harry Arroyo, lightweight champion of the world Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, and former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik; and the NFL’s Jerry Olsavsky, Sherman Smith, and Brad Smith.

This list can go on ad nauseum, but we’ll stop here.

Posed February 5th 2012

COLUMBUS: Ohio’s higher education chief has asked community colleges to consider making their class schedules more convenient for busy students who also work and have families.

Chancellor Jim Petro wants the state’s public, two-year schools to explore the idea of block scheduling. The Columbus Dispatch reports classes would be offered back-to-back in clusters.

Petro says that would make it easier for students juggling job and home responsibilities to finish their studies and get their degrees.

Right now, only about 9 percent of Ohio community college students are able to graduate within three years.

Executive Director Ronald Abrams with the Ohio Association of Community Colleges says block scheduling is already used in nursing and some technical programs and could be expanded.

Posted February 5th 2012

(PHOTO: GANGSTER DISCIPLES, CHICAGO)

The 320-page report says the Windy City now has more than 70 gangs with more than 150,000 members!

A new book on crime reveals a scary statistic: Chicago has more gang members than any other city in the United States.

The information comes from the Chicago Crime Commission’s gang book  which provides the most intensive look at gangs in Chicago in more than five years.

The 320-page report says the Windy City now has more than 70 gangs with more than 150,000 members. Commission president Jody Weiss said members and leaders are younger now and they’re recruiting aggressively in elementary schools.

Weis said social media has become a big component of recruitment and intimidation.

“We’ve got actually, like, screen prints of conversations between gang members, so it’s kind of neat that people will see how these young men are actually using this to communicate with each other, and I think that will be a good takeaway,” Weis said, according to CBS Chicago. “And you know what? At the end of the day, if we can learn something new, it will make us better at combating this problem.”

The book is intended to be a training tool for law enforcement, parents and community leaders. An electronic version is in the works for next year.

By Tim Molloy

Posted February 3rd 2012

Bounce TV will honor Don Cornelius with a seven-hour “Soul Train” marathon Saturday.

The marathon will begin with the show’s first episode and conclude with his final episode as host. It will be hosted by TLC‘s Chilli.

Cornelius, 75, was found dead of a gunshot wound this morning at his home in the Sherman Oaks district of Los Angeles.

Bounce, which airs “Soul Train” weekdays at 6 p.m., is also adding the series to its prime-time lineup beginning Monday. Monday Night Soul will feature four classic episodes of “Soul Train” back to back from 8 p.m. to Midnight ET every week.

Saturday’s marathon will begin at 7 p.m. Here is a list of the episodes, as described by Bounce:

Also from TheWrap: Don Cornelius, Creator of ‘Soul Train,’ dies

7 p.m.: The very first episode of “Soul Train,” featuring Gladys Knight & the Pips, 1971

8 p.m.: Al Green is the showcased artist, 1972

9 p.m.: The Commodores are featured in their prime, 1977

10 p.m.: Kool and the Gang highlight the show, 1983

11 p.m.: Janet Jackson in her first big music year, 1986

Midnight: En Vogue star in their debut year, 1990

1 a.m.: Cornelius’ last show as host, 1993

Bounce TV is available on free local station WUAB Channel 43.2 in the Northeast Ohio area. (Consult your Satellite or Cable guide for their WUAB 43.2  location)

By Stephanie Pappas, Senior Writer

Posted February 2nd 2012

There’s no gentle way to put it: People who give in to racism and prejudice may simply be dumb, according to a new study that is bound to stir public controversy.

The research finds that children with low intelligence are more likely to hold prejudiced attitudes as adults. These findings point to a vicious cycle, according to lead researcher Gordon Hodson, a psychologist at Brock University in Ontario. Low-intelligence adults tend to gravitate toward socially conservative ideologies, the study found. Those ideologies, in turn, stress hierarchy and resistance to change, attitudes that can contribute to prejudice, Hodson wrote in an email to LiveScience.

“Prejudice is extremely complex and multifaceted, making it critical that any factors contributing to bias are uncovered and understood,” he said.

Controversy ahead

The findings combine three hot-button topics.

“They’ve pulled off the trifecta of controversial topics,” said Brian Nosek, a social and cognitive psychologist at the University of Virginia who was not involved in the study. “When one selects intelligence, political ideology and racism and looks at any of the relationships between those three variables, it’s bound to upset somebody.”

Polling data and social and political science research do show that prejudice is more common in those who hold right-wing ideals that those of other political persuasions, Nosek told LiveScience. [7 Thoughts That Are Bad For You]

“The unique contribution here is trying to make some progress on the most challenging aspect of this,” Nosek said, referring to the new study. “It’s not that a relationship like that exists, but why it exists.”

Brains and bias

Earlier studies have found links between low levels of education and higher levels of prejudice, Hodson said, so studying intelligence seemed a logical next step. The researchers turned to two studies of citizens in the United Kingdom, one that has followed babies since their births in March 1958, and another that did the same for babies born in April 1970. The children in the studies had their intelligence assessed at age 10 or 11; as adults ages 30 or 33, their levels of social conservatism and racism were measured. [Life's Extremes: Democrat vs. Republican]

In the first study, verbal and nonverbal intelligence was measured using tests that asked people to find similarities and differences between words, shapes and symbols. The second study measured cognitive abilities in four ways, including number recall, shape-drawing tasks, defining words and identifying patterns and similarities among words. Average IQ is set at 100.

Social conservatives were defined as people who agreed with a laundry list of statements such as “Family life suffers if mum is working full-time,” and “Schools should teach children to obey authority.” Attitudes toward other races were captured by measuring agreement with statements such as “I wouldn’t mind working with people from other races.” (These questions measured overt prejudiced attitudes, but most people, no matter how egalitarian, do hold unconscious racial biases; Hodson’s work can’t speak to this “underground” racism.)

As suspected, low intelligence in childhood corresponded with racism in adulthood. But the factor that explained the relationship between these two variables was political: When researchers included social conservatism in the analysis, those ideologies accounted for much of the link between brains and bias.

People with lower cognitive abilities also had less contact with people of other races.

“This finding is consistent with recent research demonstrating that intergroup contact is mentally challenging and cognitively draining, and consistent with findings that contact reduces prejudice,” said Hodson, who along with his colleagues published these results online Jan. 5 in the journal Psychological Science.

A study of averages

Hodson was quick to note that the despite the link found between low intelligence and social conservatism, the researchers aren’t implying that all liberals are brilliant and all conservatives stupid. The research is a study of averages over large groups, he said.

“There are multiple examples of very bright conservatives and not-so-bright liberals, and many examples of very principled conservatives and very intolerant liberals,” Hodson said.

Nosek gave another example to illustrate the dangers of taking the findings too literally.

“We can say definitively men are taller than women on average,” he said. “But you can’t say if you take a random man and you take a random woman that the man is going to be taller. There’s plenty of overlap.”

Nonetheless, there is reason to believe that strict right-wing ideology might appeal to those who have trouble grasping the complexity of the world.

“Socially conservative ideologies tend to offer structure and order,” Hodson said, explaining why these beliefs might draw those with low intelligence. “Unfortunately, many of these features can also contribute to prejudice.”

In another study, this one in the United States, Hodson and Busseri compared 254 people with the same amount of education but different levels of ability in abstract reasoning. They found that what applies to racism may also apply to homophobia. People who were poorer at abstract reasoning were more likely to exhibit prejudice against gays. As in the U.K. citizens, a lack of contact with gays and more acceptance of right-wing authoritarianism explained the link. [5 Myths About Gay People Debunked]

Simple viewpoints

Hodson and Busseri’s explanation of their findings is reasonable, Nosek said, but it is correlational. That means the researchers didn’t conclusively prove that the low intelligence caused the later prejudice. To do that, you’d have to somehow randomly assign otherwise identical people to be smart or dumb, liberal or conservative. Those sorts of studies obviously aren’t possible.

The researchers controlled for factors such as education and socioeconomic status, making their case stronger, Nosek said. But there are other possible explanations that fit the data. For example, Nosek said, a study of left-wing liberals with stereotypically naïve views like “every kid is a genius in his or her own way,” might find that people who hold these attitudes are also less bright. In other words, it might not be a particular ideology that is linked to stupidity, but extremist views in general.

“My speculation is that it’s not as simple as their model presents it,” Nosek said. “I think that lower cognitive capacity can lead to multiple simple ways to represent the world, and one of those can be embodied in a right-wing ideology where ‘People I don’t know are threats’ and ‘The world is a dangerous place‘. … Another simple way would be to just assume everybody is wonderful.”

Prejudice is of particular interest because understanding the roots of racism and bias could help eliminate them, Hodson said. For example, he said, many anti-prejudice programs encourage participants to see things from another group’s point of view. That mental exercise may be too taxing for people of low IQ.

“There may be cognitive limits in the ability to take the perspective of others, particularly foreigners,” Hodson said. “Much of the present research literature suggests that our prejudices are primarily emotional in origin rather than cognitive. These two pieces of information suggest that it might be particularly fruitful for researchers to consider strategies to change feelings toward outgroups,” rather than thoughts.

You can follow LiveScience senior writer Stephanie Pappas on Twitter @sipappas. Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter @livescience and on Facebook.

By Seth Borenstein

Posted February 2nd 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — Snow has been missing in action for much of the U.S. the last couple months. But it’s not just snow. It’s practically the season that’s gone AWOL.

“What winter?” asked Mike Halpert, deputy director of the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center. For the Lower 48, January was the third-least snowy on record, according to the Global Snow Lab at Rutgers University. Records for the amount of ground covered by snow go back to 1967.

Last year, more than half the nation was covered in snow as a Groundhog Day blizzard barreled across the country, killing 36 people and causing $1.8 billion in damage. This year, less than a fifth of the country outside of Alaska has snow on the ground.

Bismarck, N.D., has had one-fifth its normal snow, Boston a third. Buffalo is three feet below normal for snowfall this year. Midland, Texas, has had more snow this season than Minneapolis or Chicago.

Forget snow. For much of the country there’s not even a nip in the air. On Tuesday, the last day in January, all but a handful of states had temperatures in the 50s or higher. In the nation’s capital, where temperatures flirted with the 70s, some cherry trees are already budding — weeks early.

For the Northeast it’s one of the warmest and least snowy winters on record, with most of the region’s temperatures the last couple months averaging 5 degrees warmer than normal, according to the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University.

“I am disgusted that golfers are golfing on my cross-country ski course,” said New Jersey state climatologist David Robinson, director of the Global Snow Lab.

Matt Dulli, an assistant golf pro at The Golf Club at Yankee Trace in the Dayton, Ohio, suburb of Centerville, said 115 rounds were played Tuesday amid balmy temperatures that reached a high of 60 degrees.

“The first thing you hear out of people’s mouths is, ‘Can you believe we’re playing golf in January?’ They’re just ecstatic that they can get out at this time of year,” Dulli said.

But there is lots of snow and dangerous cold — it’s just elsewhere in the world. Valdez, Alaska, has had 328 inches of snow this season — 10 feet above average — and the state is frigid, with Fort Yukon hitting a record 66 below zero over the weekend.

Nearly 80 people have died from a vicious cold snap in Europe, and much of Asia has been blanketed with snow. January has been the ninth snowiest since 1966 for Europe and Asia, though for the entire northern hemisphere, it’s been about average for snow this season.

The weather is so cold that some areas of the Black Sea have frozen near the Romanian coastline, and rare snowfalls have occurred on islands in the Adriatic Sea in Croatia. Ukraine alone has reported 43 fatalities, many of the victims homeless people found dead on streets. More than 720 other Ukrainians have been hospitalized with hypothermia and frostbite.

The reason is changes in Arctic winds that are redirecting snow and cold. Instead of dipping down low, the jet stream winds that normally bring cold and snow south got trapped up north. It’s called the Arctic oscillation. Think of it as a cousin to the famous El Nino.

When the Arctic oscillation is in a positive phase, the winds spin fast in the Arctic keeping the cold north. But in the past few days, the Arctic oscillation turned negative, though not in its normal way, Halpert said. The cold jet stream dipped in Europe and Asia, but is still bottled up over North America.

That’s because another weather phenomena, called the North Atlantic oscillation is playing oddball by staying positive and keeping the cold away from the rest of North America. About 90 percent of the time, the North Atlantic and Arctic oscillations are in synch, Halpert said. But not this time, so much of the United States is escaping the winter’s worst.

What’s happening isn’t just an inconvenience.

Trees and plants budding early may lose their chance to bloom when the inevitable deep freeze returns, said U.S. Geological Survey ecologist Jake Weltzin, who heads a national network that monitors the timing of spring for plants and animals. He said peach trees are budding in Georgia and in Oklahoma forsythia and daffodils have been out for two weeks now, adding “it’s happening everywhere.”

“If you think about plants and animals being kind of biologic thermometers, they are indicating a very early spring,” Weltzin said. “That’s a problem.”

This could mean less fruit available this year, Weltzin said. In New York, it could weaken the grapes used to make wine, added Cornell University horticulturalist David W. Wolfe.

But it is getting people outside more often.

In the heart of the snow belt, Holden Arboretum saw a 32 percent jump in December attendance and a 20 percent jump in January visits. Over the two months about 4,200 people visited the site in Kirtland, Ohio, outside Cleveland, that features gardens, woodlands and trails.

Along Lake Erie near Toledo, Ohio, a ferry service that carries visitors to islands was beginning winter routes Wednesday for the first time in six years.

“We’ve just had a remarkable run of unusual winters in the past six years globally,” said Jeff Masters, director of meteorology at Weather Underground in Ann Arbor, Mich. “I have to say that winter hasn’t really hit yet. Certainly not where I live.”

____

JoAnne Viviano and Doug Whiteman contributed to this report from Columbus, Ohio.

Posted February 2nd 2012

Posted February 1st 2012

Carter Godwin Woodson was born on December 19, 1875 in New Canton, in Buckingham County, Virginia, to parents who were formerly enslaved. He was instrumental in bringing professional recognition to the study of African American history during a period when most historians held the opinion that African Americans were a people without history.

He founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in September 1915 and a journal to chronicle the history and advancements of African Americans. To draw greater attention to the contributions and achievements of African Americans to civilization, he and others founded Negro History Week in 1926. He chose the week to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and Frederick Douglass on February 14, whose lives and work supported freedom, equality, and citizenship for African Americans. This celebration and remembrance would later evolve into Black History Month, celebrated nationally beginning in the mid-1970s. Years later many referred to Woodson as the “Father of Negro History.”

The association today sets the theme for Black History Month and serves as a resource for local, state, and international branches to help promote greater knowledge of African American history through programs of education, research, and publishing.

Born to a poor family, Woodson supported himself by working in the coalmines of Kentucky. As a result, he was unable to enroll in high school until he was 20. After graduating in less than two years, he taught high school, wrote articles, studied at home and abroad, and went on to earn a doctorate in history at Harvard University in 1912; at the time, only the second African American to receive a Harvard doctorate. His predecessor was the eminent scholar, W.E.B. DuBois.

His organization, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, encouraged scholars to engage in the intensive study of the past as it related to Africans and their descendants through the world. In 1916, Woodson edited the first issue of the association’s principal scholarly publication, The Journal of Negro History (now the Journal of African American History), which, under his direction, remained an important historical periodical for more than 30 years. Woodson served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and head of the graduate faculty at Howard University, Washington, D.C. (1919-20), and was dean at West Virginia State College in Institute, West Virginia (1920-22).

Important works by Woodson include the widely consulted college text The Negro in Our History (1922; 10th ed., 1962); The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861 (1915); A Century of Negro Migration (1918), and The Miseducation of the Negro (1933). He was at work on a projected six-volume Encyclopedia Africana at the time of his death. Woodson died on April 3, 1950, in Washington, D.C.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION: EVENT LISTING 2012

February 1st through February 29th

Black History Month 2012  Cleveland City Hall Rotunda
Beginning at noon on Tuesday, February 1st City of Cleveland  kicks off the annual  Black History Month celebration. Free events will feature live music, food, and local vendors every Tuesday and Wednesday at noon. Free and open to the public. Click HERE for details.

The United Church of Christ Honors Black History Month

The UCC Church House in Cleveland will feature prominent African-American preachers during Black History Month, who will lead worship. Amistad Chapel, 700 Prospect Avenue E, Cleveland, OH 44115.  Each Wednesday in February at noon: Free to the public.

• February 1, 2012 — Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, UCC general minister and president.
• February 8, 2012 — Rev. Paul Hobson Sadler Sr., pastor of Mt. Zion Congregational UCC in Cleveland.
• February 15, 2012 — U.S. Federal Judge Denise Page Hood.
• February 29, 2012 — Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., pastor emeritus of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Cincinnati Ohio- Courage: The Vision to End Segregation, The Guts to Fight For It

Half a century ago, a series of lawsuits that changed America were launched. These lawsuits led to the 1954 landmark Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Education. The Brown decision ruled racially segregated schools were unconstitutional and set in motion a series of events that continue to shape our lives today. Courage is an award-winning, groundbreaking exhibition that tells the story of Rev. J.A. De Laine and other brave citizens of Clarendon County, South Carolina. Through photographs, oral histories and key artifacts, Courage explores the grassroots community activism that one community initiated to begin the process that ended legal segregation of all races in America’s schools. Click HERE for exhibit days and times.

Kent State University Presents ‘The Black List’

A three-part series features video portraits of some of today’s most prominent African-Americans from areas of arts, sports, politics, business and government. Produced by photographer/filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and public radio host, journalist and former New York Times critic Elvis Mitchell. Moderated discussion to follow each video presentation. Click HERE for more information and additional events. Kent State University at Stark, Library Conference Room, 6000 Frank Avenue NW, North Canton, OH 44720. Free to the public.

• Volume I – Monday, Feb. 6, 2012, 12:30 p.m.- 2 p.m.
• Volume II – Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012, 12:30 p.m.- 2 p.m.
• Volume III – Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012, 12:30 p.m.- 2 p.m.

Karamua House Presents ‘The Bluest Eye’

A Karamu House production based off of Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison’s novel. It chronicles the tragic life of a young black girl in Ohio, in the 1940s, and explores the toll that a legacy of racism has taken on a community, family and innocent girl. (Play contains adult language and themes.)  Karamu House, 2355 East 89th Street, Cleveland, OH 44106. Click HERE for dates, times and admission prices.

Rock Hall: ‘Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power’

A groundbreaking new exhibit at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Guests get an in-depth look at more than 70 female artists and the important roles they have played in rock and roll, from its inception through today.  Exhibit features artifacts, video and listening stations, as well as a recording booth. Click HERE for more information.

Western Reserve Historical Society

The 13th annual A Fugitive’s Path – Escape on the Underground Railroad returns to Hale Farm & Village on select dates from February through April 2012. This interactive, role-playing program involves visitor s in the story of the Underground Railroad. The program begins on the auction block with slaves sold to a harsh overseer. A twist of fate allows them to escape, traveling under cover of darkness on a perilous 90-minute journey in search of freedom. Click HERE for days and times.

The King Art Complex Columbus Ohio: The February Family Film Series  “ Book to Movies”

The February Family Film Series will focus on books that have become movies.  In honor of Black History Month the series embraces, reviews and acknowledges the power of literature that has influenced films on cultural and social patterns of our society.  The dialogue will be led by community facilitators and/or local media personalities that will provide their expertise in their field, either by knowledge or interest. Admission is Free. Click HERE for schedule.

Visual Voices 2012: The African American Experience,  Schuster Performing Arts Center, Dayton,
A part of the KeyBank African-American Arts Festival, the free exhibit, open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., features African-American “skyscrapers,” women and men who stand tall as role models in the Dayton community. Curated by Willis “Bing” Davis, Visual Voices is presented in partnership with EbonNia Gallery and will feature the work of dozens of Dayton-area African-American artists. Click HERE for details.

Black History Month at the Ohio Statehouse, Columbus Ohio

The Ohio Statehouse will celebrate Black History Month throughout February with a special display, free historical performances each Tuesday at noon and special tours of the George Washington Williams Room. The 2012 Rosa Parks Children’s Art Exhibit will be on display in the Statehouse Map Room throughout February. Musical performances will honor Black History Month each Wednesday from 12 noon to 1 p.m. in the Crypt of the Ohio Statehouse. Guests will be treated to a free lunch-time concert.  Living history programs will be presented each Tuesday at noon throughout February in the Museum Gallery on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse. Visitors will meet first-person interpreters who portray African Americans who are prominent figures in U.S. history. Free to the public. Click HERE for details.

Cleveland State University will present a wide range of activities in honor of Black History Month. From lectures to art exhibits to films and more, Cleveland State is engaging the community in a celebration of the lives, history and culture of people of African descent. All events are free and open to the public unless noted.  For more information, please call the Black Studies Program at 216.687.3655.

Bowling Green State University, month-long
Bowling Green State University celebrates Black History Month with numerous events, including a lecture series, musical performances and conferences. A highlight of the month’s events is the 13th Annual Black Issues Conference on Feb. 11 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Click HERE for full schedule of events.

Friday February 3rd 2012

E.J. Thomas Hall:  ‘THE COLOR PURPLE’ is an inspiring family saga that tells the unforgettable story of a woman who – through love – finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discover her unique voice in the world. Set to a joyous score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel and blues, THE COLOR PURPLE is a story of hope, a testament to the healing power of love and a celebration of life. Directed by Gary Griffin, THE COLOR PURPLE is adapted for the stage by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Marsha Norman, with music and lyrics by Grammy Award winners Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray and choreography by Donald Byrd. 198 Hill St., Akron; 330-972-7595 F Showtimes are February 3rd & 4th.

Saturday February 4th 2012

The Cleveland Public Library continues our tradition of offering African American History Month programs throughout the Main Library and its branches to commemorate the rich history that helped shape this country.

Cleveland Public Library: Writers & Readers Series: Eugine Robinson, Author and Political Analyst

Cleveland Public Library welcomes Pulitzer Prize-winning author and political analyst, Eugene Robinson. Frequently seen on MSNBC. Mr. Robinson is also associate editor and columnist for The Washington Post. His latest book, Disintegration: The Splintering of Black America, was published in 2010. This event is FREE and open to the public.
Books are available from A Cultural Exchange at aculturalexchange.org. 2:00 p.m. Main Library • Louis Stokes  Wing Auditorium • East Sixth & Superior Ave. For more Cleveland Public Library events Click HERE

Cleveland Jazz Orchestra: Celebration of the Big Band, Classic to Contemporary Revue

Pre-show talk @ 7:30 pm * February  4, 2012 * Donor Lounge
Sean Jones takes the CJO and the audience on a journey through the evolution of the big band from Count Basie to Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Thad Jones, and more contemporary ensembles. Click HERE for event details.

Sunday February 5th 2012

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad: Lessons in the Underground Railroad

 Wednesday  February 8th 2012

‘History of African-Americans in American Politics’

Former member of the Ohio House of Representatives, Thom Collier, presents a brief examination on the political elements affecting African-Americans, from slavery to citizenship. Event sponsored by the OSU/M/NC State College Republicans. Click HERE for more information and additional events. North Central State College, Conard Performance Hall in Reidl Hall, 1760 University Drive, Mansfield, OH 44906. 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Free to the public.

Maltz Museum: Performance Preview and Director’s Talk, ‘The Antebellum’

Join Cleveland Public Theatre director Beth Wood and members of the cast of Antebellum as they talk about and perform selected scenes from this provocative drama that unfolds against the backdrop of a southern plantation, a German concentration camp and the 1939 Atlanta premiere of Gone with the Wind; a play that resonates with the entwining realities of Nazi cruelty and Hollywood dreams. 7pm. Click HERE for event details.

The Cleveland Art Museum: ‘Chucho Valdés with the Afro-Cuban Messengers.’

Thursday February 9th 2012

Oberlin College: ‘Why I Had to Dance’-A Premiere Choreopoem Written by Ntozake Shangé

Poet/playwright Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem “Why I Had to Dance” propels the audience into the world of dance through the poet’s experiences. Shange describes it as: “The story of black dance herself… the connectedness of black dance from one generation to another generation and from one region to another region, moving all around the dance world from my childhood on.” Experience the world premiere of this animated journey of dance through time, over generations and across geography brought to life on stage. “Why I Had to Dance” is written by Ntozake Shange and choreographed and directed by Dianne McIntyre. The evening opens with Unexpected Journeys, another new piece choreographed by Dianne McIntyre with Oberlin student collaborators. Unexpected Journeys is directed by Oberlin College Associate Professor Caroline Jackson Smith. Click HERE for ticket information.

Sunday  February 12th 2012

‘An Evening of Theater Celebrating Black History Month’

Presented by US Bank and The Urban League of Greater Cleveland. Event features the award-winning stage play, “Radio Golf,” by August Wilson. Production tells the story of a successful entrepreneur aspiring to become a city’s first black mayor. It’s the final chapter in Wilson’s 10-play cycle chronicling African-American life in the 20th century. Click HERE for more information.

Allen Theater — Playhouse Square, 1501 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH Sunday, February 12, 2012, 7:30 p.m. ADMISSION: $50

Friday February 17th 2012
Rock Hal Celebrates Black History Month: Ladies First, Meshell Ndegeocello Live in Concert.

Friday February 17th 2012 at 7pm. Click HERE for tickets and more info.

Akron Civic Theatre: Greater Bethel Baptist Church presents Past Unforgotten III Black History and Awards Celebration!

Greater Bethel Baptist Church presents an amazing night of Gospel singing. 100 Voice Choir of Greater Akron. 7pm

Monday February 20th 2012

‘African-American Women Pioneers in Sports’

Dr. Leslie Heaphy highlights African-American women and their significant achievements in sports. Event is co-sponsored by Kent State Stark’s History Club. Click HERE for more information. Kent State University at Stark, Library Conference Room, 6000 Frank Avenue NW, North Canton, OH 44720. Monday, February 20, 2012, 12:30 p.m.- 2 p.m. Free to the public.

Wednesday February 22nd 2012

Rock and Roll Night School – ‘Ladies First: Women in Hip-Hop’

Event is part of the Rock Hall’s annual Black History Month celebration. Attendees will learn about the complicated and changing roles of female hip-hop artists, from early pioneers to today’s leading innovators. Class includes a presentation, music and video clips, and group discussions. Click HERE for more information. 7 p.m.- 8:30 p.m. Free to the public reservation required.

Thursday February 23rd 2012

Cleveland Public Theatre: ‘The Antebellum’

Antebellum unfolds against the backdrops of a southern American plantation, a German concentration camp, the world premiere of Gone With The Wind and 1930s Berlin cabarets. Two stories merge as a love affair between two men, one Jewish and the other African-American, bridges time, space and gender. Through juxtaposed realities of Nazi cruelty and Hollywood dreams, this sweeping romance challenges intolerance of race and religion and discrimination on both sides of the Atlantic.  February 23rd —March 10th. Click HERE for tickets.

Friday February 24th 2012

PlayhouseSquare :  ‘Slam U Spoken Word’

Slam U is PlayhouseSquare’s spoken word poetry program for teens. Find your voice and speak your mind. Meet other teen poets. Be on stage. Develop your skills. Eat some free pizza. And maybe earn a spot on the Cleveland Youth Poetry Slam Team and travel to the international Brave New Voices competition in July. Free admission.  Click HERE for more info.

Slam U is made possible by the philanthropic support of individual and corporate donors and foundations.

 Saturday February 25th 2012

Max’nOut Entertainment and Beechstree PR in collaboration with PBS presents  ‘Slavery By Another Name’ Dialgue Discussion.

Cleveland Public Library: Natural Hair Care in the 21st Century

In honor of African American History Month the Cleveland Public Library invites you to its first ever natural hair program, Natural Hair Care in the 21st Century. Find out about the history, science and beauty of African American hair. Learn what it truly means to “transition” and discover the beauty of natural hair styles worn by women throughout the world.

Featuring a “real talk” informative and interactive session with advice from the experts. Join the hottest natural hair experts, salon owners, and bloggers for an afternoon of learning about the natural hair care in the 21st century. 1:00 p.m. Main Library • Louis Stokes Wing Auditorium • East Sixth & Superior Ave. For more Cleveland Public Library events Click HERE

Tuesday February 28th 2012

PlayhouseSquare: ‘Memphis’

From the underground dance clubs of 1950s Memphis, Tennessee, comes a hot new Broadway musical that bursts off the stage with explosive dancing, irresistible songs and a thrilling tale of fame and forbidden love. Inspired by actual events, Memphis is about a white radio DJ who wants to change the world and a black club singer who is ready for her big break. Come along on their incredible journey to the ends of the airwaves — filled with laughter, soaring emotion and roof-raising rock ‘n’ roll. Winner of four 2010 Tony Awards® including Best Musical, Memphis , features a Tony®-winning book by Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change) and a Tony®-winning original score with music by Bon Jovi founding member David Bryan. Directing is Tony® nominee Christopher Ashley (Xanadu), and choreography is by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys). Get ready to experience Broadway’s most exciting new destination~ what AP calls “The very essence of what a Broadway musical should be.” Run of show: February 28th —March 11th. Click HERE for tickets.