Under the baobab: Penn State, local community hold Malcolm X event, others
“Malcolm X is dead some began. Others say more, ‘He was too good to die’ they say. Yet others try to build on the bones and flesh that once walked and talked like a brother.” -Dumas, “A Memorial”
American icon Malcolm X, El Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, would have been 100 years old this year had he not been gunned down at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City in front of his family. I first encountered Malcolm when I was a teenager in the early ‘60s, both in Chicago and New York City. I was also privileged to be the convener of his San Francisco memorial ceremony in 1965.
Last week Dr. Wael Jabr and the organizing committee held a Malcolm X Centenary at Penn State’s Hintz Family Alumni Center. Dr. Jamie Campbell and State College Mayor Ezra Nanes welcomed the crowd of over 100 folks. Dr. Keith Gilyard and Ellen McLarney gave keynote addresses. Dr. Alex Lubin led a panel of student speakers from the MLK Commemoration Committee, the Muslim Students’ Association and Students for Justice in Palestine.
State College Poet Laureate Carmin Wong led a group of poetry presentations by myself, Ide Amari Thompson, Terry Watson, and Prof. Wilson Okello. Elaine Meder-Wilgus of Webster’s Bookstore Cafe catered the event.
Elsewhere in the community
Subramanyam Vedam will be released after spending more than 40 years in prison. District Attorney Bernie Cantorna decided not to retry the case after the court vacated the original charges. Gopal Balachandran led Vedam’s defense team.
Hispanic Heritage Month continued with a workshop at the Stuckeman Water Tower sponsored by the National Association of Minority Landscape Architects; Fun Friday at the Paul Robeson Center; HHM Cultural Night on Friday at Heritage Hall, Cross-College Hispanic Trailblazer Gallery on Monday at the Life Sciences Bridge; and the Hispanic Heritage Cultural Showcase on Thursday from 6-9 p.m. at the Henderson Building.
Harvest Day at the Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm will honor Dolores Huerta on Sunday, Oct. 5.
Volunteers from St. Andrew’s Cafe will serve the community on Thursday, Oct. 9 from 5-7 p.m. at the church.
And what happens when everyone you know turns into a rhinoceros? Center Stage opens its 2025-26 season with Ionesco’s “Rhinoceros,” directed by Sam Osheroff, at the Pavilion Theatre from Oct. 6-18. The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State will present “Echoes of Tradition: Musical Dialogue” at 3 Dots on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 5:30 p.m.; Momix’s “Alice” at Eisenhower Theatre on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.; and Kurbasy’s “Songs of the Ukrainian Forest” on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall.
Other Happy Valley events
On Oct. 1 the State College Police Department held a Coffee and Conversation session, where community members came in to chat.
Housing Transitions held its Boots, Band and Ballroom fundraiser at The Graduate on Oct. 3.
On Sunday, Oct. 5, The Philharmonic will perform at the Eisenhower Theatre at 4 p.m. Also on Sunday, the Centre County Democratic Committee holds its Fall Dinner at The Ramada Hotel beginning at 5:30 p.m.
On Monday, Oct. 6, Out of the Cold Centre County will sponsor their Rooted in Hope Dinner to celebrate resilience and transformation. St. Paul’s, UMC and Wesley Foundation will present Padraig O’ Tuama, the Irish poet, reading his “Poetry Unbound” at 250 E. College Ave. at 7 p.m. on Oct. 8. The Community Diversity Group and AAUW State College will hold a Cultural Empowerment for Women Luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 9 at 11:30 a.m. at the Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center.
Oct. 11 is National Coming Out Day, observed every year to celebrate, support and encourage those individuals who “come out” to share their sexual orientation or gender identity with others.
On Oct. 12 the School of Music will present clarinetist Anthony Costa doing “No Strings Attached at the Rhapsody Recitals” at 4 p.m. in the Recital Hall.
Stay strong. We are the people.
Charles Dumas is a lifelong political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Party’s nominee for the U.S. Congress in 2012. He is a Lions Paw honoree. He lives in State College with his wife and partner of over 50 years.