A gospel concert, a 70s “players’ ball” and the piecing together of a quilt to symbolize campus-wide unity are some of the events University organizations are sponsoring in honor of Black History Month, which begins today in front of Bollinger Memorial Student Union at noon. University President Stephen Hulbert, Student Government Association President Olinda Ricard and other guest speakers will kick off the opening ceremony today. “Civility in Words!”, which focuses on ending the use of derogatory language, will be included in the ceremony. Students will be able to voice or write down what offends them, and a wall with written declarations of what offends students will be displayed in the Union throughout the month.

The program will not only focus on language offensive to black people but any kind of offensive language and is in conjunction with the SGA sponsored, campus-wide Civility Campaign.

The University’s theme for Black History Month, “Diversity, Unity, Civility,” is different from the national theme, “From Slavery to Freedom.” Allie Johnson, assistant director of auxiliary services, is the chairperson for the Nicholls Black History Month Committee, which consists mostly of Student Educators And LeaderS, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (Nicholls Chapter), SGA, the Student Programming Association and faculty members. She said the committee chose a different theme because they felt the national theme was negative.

“You do need to know your past, but we wanted to focus on unity,” Johnson said.

NAACP President Alex Barnes, government sophomore from New Orleans, said although February is titled Black History Month, it is a celebration of everyone’s history.

“We all came over here one way or another,” Barnes said. “It relates to how we all have grown, especially here in the South, as a culture and as a people. It really does not just affect African Americans.”

A forum discussing the first integrated class at Nicholls is one of the scheduled Black History Month programs. It is scheduled for Feb. 6 at 1:30 p.m. in Le Bijou Theater and will feature guest speaker Alfred Delahaye, professor emeritus of mass communication, and will be facilitated by Erace, a non-profit organization from New Orleans whose mission is to erase racism.

Throughout the month, different organizations will have displays in the Union featuring black inventors and general Black History Month information.

Information about conditions black people are statistically more prone to, along with free blood pressure monitoring and tests for diabetes, high cholesterol and HIV will be offered at a health fair scheduled Feb. 8 in the Union from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The month’s activities will conclude Feb. 28 at the Unity Gala. The unity quilt, designed and assembled by various student organizations, will be presented and 10 black students will be honored for their contributions to the University and community.

James Butler, associate professor of sociology and keynote speaker for the Unity Gala, will speak on diversity in the Cotillion Ballroom from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.