Impassioned humanitarian and social entrepreneur Cedza Dlamini, a grandson of Nelson Mandela, and a South African dance and theatre troupe depicting the legend of the warrior-king of the Zulus highlight UALR’s month-long celebration of black history and culture.

Tashala Collins, UALR’s director of minority affairs, said UALR’s 2007 Black History Month schedule is filled with art, film, lecture, and discussion events designed to entertain and provoke thought.

Here is a rundown of events:

• An hors d’oeuvres reception with the smooth sounds of the Flute Juice Jazz Ensemble and door prizes kicks off the celebration at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30, at the Donaghey Student Center Rooms A and B.
• Feature film Sankofa – an Akan word meaning one must return to the past to move forward – focuses on a contemporary model possessed by spirits lingering in the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana and times travels to the past where she is abused by a slave master. A short discussion follows; 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12, DSC Rooms A and B.
• Artist reception for Joyce Wellman, a Brooklyn-born artist whose work is on exhibit in Gallery I in the Fine Arts Building. the reception will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15. The gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Saturday, and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. each Sunday. Wellman will also engage in an Artist’s Talk at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13, in Fine Arts 157. Wellman participates in the First East African Women Artists Residency and Exhibition and taught a master printmaking class to a group of young artists at the Kuona Trust Studios in Nairobi sponsored by the U.S. Embassy, Kenya, and the Kuona Trust of Nairobi.
• “Abolish the N-Word” panel discussion, 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, DSC Room C. Panelists Nick Norfolk, Chandra Garrett, Dr. Jennifer Hun, Ashleigh McGee, and Stacey and LeRon McAdoo discuss the questions: Should we stop using the word? Does it matter who uses it?
• Umbadu Dance Company, a South African dance-theatre group depicts the legend of the warrior-king Shaka of the Zulu nation; 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19, Haislip Theatre; UALR Center for Performing Arts.
• Mohamed Adam Yahya, a refugee from the Darfur region of Sudan and chair of the Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy that represents the Massaleit people of Darfur, discusses the causes of and factors contributing to the crisis taking place in his home country; 12:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, at DSC Room A.
• Prince Cedz D’lamini, grandson of Nelson Mandela, discusses his vision of creating a unified global order by establishing global networks of young leaders working collectively to address world problems such as HIV/AIDS, poverty, hunger, and illiteracy. 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 5 , DSC Meeting Rooms A and B.

All events are free and open to the public and are sponsored by the UALR Office of Campus Life. For more information, call (501) 569-3308.