Giving Black History Month a Voice

As vice president of the Simi Valley-based Afro-Centric Committee, Ida Magitt anxiously awaits each February when Black History Month is observed.

Magitt helps organize Ventura County’s annual Afro-Centric Marketplace at Mountain Gate Plaza in Simi Valley. Now in its eighth year, the event features African-inspired clothing, jewelry, cultural dancing, gospel singing and educational literature.

The marketplace is held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. the first Saturday in March to wrap up the area’s cultural activities.

“It’s just sad to me that it has to be designated as Black History Month,” Magitt said. “A lot of people don’t realize all of the contributions that African Americans have made. It should be integrated into our regular history of the United States.”

In addition to the March 2 marketplace, schools, churches and organizations in the county are celebrating Black History Month by presenting artists and academics, television personalities and gospel rappers along with speech contests and concerts.

Tonight, a New York-based husband-and-wife singing duo, Kim and Reggie Harris, will wrap up a West Coast tour at Ventura’s Church of Religious Science.

Earlier this week the couple entertained hundreds of schoolchildren at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza with back-to-back performances of “Music and the Underground Railroad.” Through songs, stories and slides, the youngsters learned about the history of black slaves and their journey to freedom.

“It’s amazing because the audience claps and sings and the kids really get in to it,” said Kim Harris, who with her husband also conducted a workshop this week called “Dream Alive--A Celebration of Black History for Teachers” that provided educators with ideas and tools for using theater to teach African American history.

At Oxnard College, the cultural calendar includes a lunchtime talk by television’s Judge Joe Brown on Monday and a Feb. 20 lecture by academic counselor Ron Jackson, who will examine how standardized psychological tests are used to justify placing young African American males in special education classes and the social and psychological damage that results.

“A significant number of African American males are being diagnosed as learning-disabled after taking these tests,” said Jackson, a sociology instructor at Oxnard College.

“Instead of trying to mainstream these kids and looking at their environment to see if anything can be modified, they are placed in special ed. Once you have that negative stereotype, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Jackson said America needs to address this problem by asking penetrating questions and demanding solutions.

“My premise is that every day is about African American history,” he said.

Elementary schools use February to focus on black authors and hold assemblies featuring African American music or guest speakers.

Oxnard schools have a districtwide competition for fifth- and sixth-graders to write a four-minute speech on a significant person or event in the black community.

The winner will be selected Feb. 23.

“The winner presents their speech at next year’s Martin Luther King [Day} celebration,” said Michele Dean, the district’s manager for professional development.

“For a lot of kids, it’s their first introduction to public speaking.”

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Upcoming Events

All events are free unless specified:

Monday--TV’s Judge Joe Brown speaks in the gym at Oxnard College, 4000 S. Rose Ave. Noon. Information: 986-5800, ext. 7618.

Tuesday--”Positive Music and Hometalk--A Tribute to African Freedom Fighters,” Ventura College, 4667 Telegraph Road. Reggae band Irie Smile and student presentations in the quad. 12:30-2 p.m. Information: 654-6462.

Feb. 12-16--”The Soul Train,” a comic drama by minister Tony Burton of Second Missionary Baptist Church in Simi Valley about a Southern minister who sells prayer on the radio to save his church. Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, 3050 Los Angeles Ave. Show times and tickets: 581-9940.

Feb. 20--”The Education of African American Men,” a lecture by Ron Jackson, academic counselor. Noon. Oxnard College’s LS-8 Clock Tower Auditorium. Information: 986-5809

Feb. 26--Fund-raiser to help stop the spread of AIDS in Africa. Fred Kwezi Arthur, a student from Ghana, will speak in the quad and an African dance troupe performs. 12:30-2 p.m. Ventura College. Information: 654-6462.

Feb. 27--Black History Month Health Fair. Health screenings from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oxnard College gym.