Minot State is sponsoring three events celebrating Black History Month

MINOT, N.D. - Minot State University's Student Government Association (SGA), Diversity Council, Alumni Association, and Spiritual Wellness have collaborated on three events to commemorate Black History Month.

A keynote address from alumnus Joe Davis '13, a workshop, and a panel will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 17, to celebrate Black History Month by uplifting Black voices on campus and in the community.

This Black History Month panel is designed to create a space for Black leaders within the community to share their lived experiences, leadership journeys, and visions for the future," said Minot State psychology student, SGA Senator, and member of the MSU track & field team Autumn Wright. "It is an opportunity to honor Black history as a living, ongoing narrative, one shaped by resilience, innovation, and impact. Through dialogue, reflection, and connection, this panel aims to educate, empower, and inspire attendees while strengthening the relationship between our campus and the Black community around us."

Kicking off the day will be Davis's keynote address in Hartnett Hall Lecture and Recital Hall 106 from 10-11 a.m. Students who attend this event will receive a free lunch coupon from Sodexo in Minot, valid at the Beaver Creek Café. Davis is a Minneapolis-based, award-winning spoken word artist and bestselling author who uses poetry to power possibility. He earned the Alumni Association's Young Alumni Achievement Award in 2025. He heads a multimedia production company, a soul funk band, and a racial justice education program, and his work has been featured on BET, Minnesota Public Radio, CNN, VH1, and the Twin Cities CW. Davis will speak on his experiences at Minot State and how they shaped his life and work.

After lunch, Davis will lead a writing workshop, "What is Your Legacy?," from 1:30-3 p.m. in the Hartnett Hall Collaboration Space for current Minot State students. He will bring his experience working with schools, faith spaces, nonprofits, businesses, and correctional facilities to lead students in a workshop on what they want their legacy at MSU to be.

The evening session is Black Sheep Panel: Celebrating Minot's Black Leaders from 5:15-6:15 p.m. in Ann Nicole Nelson Hall.

The panel will feature Davis; Wright; Jasmin Bell, a current MSU student in professional communication and a member of the MSU volleyball and track & field teams; Aundrey Livingston, Sr., Minot State's director of safety and security; Jace Roundtree, MSU track & field assistant coach for sprints, hurdles, and relays; Darryl McBride, MSU football co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach; and Robbie Sumlin '14, current detective with the Minot Police Department, and a 12-year member of the MPD Panelists will share what Black history means to them, their experiences of being Black while working, learning, and living in a predominantly white area/institution, and their hopes for Minot's future.

This evening panel is free and open to the MSU campus and the greater Minot community. MSU students attending the panel will receive a lunch coupon courtesy of Sodexo, and there will be door prizes eligible for all in attendance.

For more information on these events, see attached event poster or contact Kacey Donamaria, record specialist in MSU's Registrar's Office and member of the Diversity Council, by email.