MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — The following is a collection of events happening around Penn State Harrisburg next week.
Events
Black History Month – Luncheon “Echoes of the Past, Voices for the Future” – 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Feb. 26, Events Room 210, Capital Union Building. This year’s luncheon, themed “Echoes of the Past, Voices for the Future,” invites attendees to reflect on the legacy of Black history while embracing the power and potential of the voices leading forward. Brandon Leake, acclaimed spoken word poet, educator, and winner of America’s Got Talent, will be keynote speaker. Registration for the luncheon has closed. Email sdeihbg@psu.edu for more information. Hosted by the Black History Month Committee.
Black History Month Post-Luncheon Mix and Mingle – 1-3 p.m., Feb. 26, Living Room, Student Enrichment Center. This mix and mingle is an opportunity to foster meaningful dialogue and connection among faculty, staff, and students and a chance to connect, reflect, and build community after the Black History Month Luncheon. Hosted by the Office of Student Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Unsung Patriots Exhibit Closing Reception – 2:30-3:30 p.m., Feb. 26, Mukund S. Kulkarni Theatre, Student Enrichment Center. A closing reception for an exhibit that uncovers the extraordinary yet often-overlooked contributions of African American soldiers and patriots during the American Revolution. Under the guidance of Beatrice Epwene, assistant teaching professor of communications, students in the African American Studies 100 course have compiled profiles of courageous patriots, many of whom served as informants, spies, and essential middlemen during the war. The exhibit will also be open during common hour, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Feb. 24 in the Kulkarni Theatre.
MOSAIC, a workshop with Brandon Leake – 4-5:30 p.m., Feb. 26, Kulkarni Theatre, Student Enrichment Center. A workshop with Brandon Leake, an award-winning spoken word poet, artistic educator, and motivational speaker, whose journey as a performer and educator has taken him across the globe. His work centers on themes of transparency and healing, and his acclaimed projects, including his poetry chapbook and album continue to inspire audiences worldwide. RSVP for this workshop on Engage. Hosted by Multicultural Academic Excellence Program (MAEP).
Student Panel on Mental Health – 6:30-8 p.m., Feb. 26, C213 Auditorium, Olmsted. The Student Government Association and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) invite students, faculty and staff to dive into "The Bystander Effect" at the third annual student panel about mental health.
Open Mic Jam and Poetry Slam with Celebrity Host Brandon Leake – 9 p.m., Feb. 27, Kulkarni Theatre, Student Enrichment Center. Cheer on performers at this talent event, featuring celebrity host and spoken word artist Brandon Leake, America's Got Talent Season 15 winner. Students can sign up to attend the event for free on Engage. Limited free tickets are available to the community and may be reserved by emailing kulkarniboxoffice@psu.edu.
Afro-Carribean Lunch – 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Feb. 28, W132 Oliver LaGrone Cultural Center, Olmsted. Learn about Afro-Caribbean culture! Food, music, culture, and more!
In-person exhibits (ongoing)
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (display) – Through February 2025, third floor, Madlyn L. Hanes Library. In honor of MLK Day and Black History Month, Archives and Special Collections is showcasing items from the College History Archives, including copies of student-designed posters that celebrate Martin Luther King's legacy as well as playbills for the MLK Campus Play Series created by Dorothy King, retired assistant professor of sociology. The display is located outside of the entrance to the archives.
The Classroom and Beyond: Student Life at Penn State Harrisburg – Through August 2025, first floor, Madlyn L. Hanes Library. This exhibit celebrates students and the evolution of student life at Penn State Harrisburg, including materials from the College History Archives. "The Classroom and Beyond," features over 30 unique items that date from the mid-1960s to the present, organized in seven different categories: academics, alumni, athletics, international students, student clubs, student publications, and the Harrisburg Rock Festival, which was a campus tradition from 1970 until 1978.
Archives and Special Collections Greatest Hits – Through August 2025, third floor Reading Room, Madlyn L. Hanes Library. From the Alice K. Marshall Women's History Collection to the Three Mile Island Collection, the "Greatest Hits" showcases a wide range of materials that are on display in the Reading Room of Archives and Special Collections. It is available for viewing whenever the archives is open (Mondays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and by appointment.
State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda – Through August 2025, first floor Linda Schwab Holocaust Gallery and Reading Room, Madlyn L. Hanes Library. In partnership with the Penn State Harrisburg Center for Holocaust and Jewish Studies and the Penn State Harrisburg School of Humanities, this poster exhibition is based on the U. S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's exhibition by the same name, which was produced in collaboration with the Holocaust and United Nations Outreach Program. The posters encourage viewers to "think about what propaganda is, how it works, and how to respond when it aims to divide people and promote violence," according to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.