AACC will host an art exhibit, a sit-down lunch and more to celebrate Black History Month in February with the theme “Blackness in Full Bloom.”

The theme signifies embracing and celebrating the resilience of African Americans through adversity, according to Black History Month coordinator Stephanie Smith-Baker.

“We bring different events and activities for Black History Month,” Smith-Baker, a medical assisting professor, said. “It’s always helpful to increase awareness for the overall community, the students and just the college community. Also, to reflect and then figure out, maybe, from the different activities and what you experienced … what else can you do?”

Local artists will display work all month in the Pascal Gallery, and AACC will host a reception on Feb. 15 where students can talk to the artists and ask questions.

“We looked at several artists and their pieces and we just put together a nice, I think, display that … the college community will appreciate, kind of, supporting that ‘Blackness in Full Bloom,’” Smith-Baker said.

The college will also host a sit-down lunch and presentation about “Creating Your Own Black Wall Street” for young entrepreneurs on Feb. 13 in Cade 219 with guest speaker James Peterson Jr., the small business ambassador of M&T Bank.

Smith-Baker said Peterson will discuss “how to turn your ideas and your hobbies into a business that could probably be lucrative.”

Smith-Baker said AACC has tried to bring in a diverse array of events.

Smith-Baker said: “A lot of people, you hear Black History Month and sometimes you see, like, a standard set of things … in the media and so that’s why we really tried to … bring such a diverse set of events and activities and definitely have our students be involved because, you know, they’re very creative.”

Second-year psychology student Deon Bellinger said the campus should host more events for students of color.

“It should be more frequent than just Black History Month [to] allow more opportunities for them, instead of just that small period of time,” Bellinger said.