'Moonlight' to Open Black History Month Film Series Feb. 1
The series, presented by The Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union and The University of Scranton's Weinberg Memorial Library, will be shown throughout February. Dr. Anthony Betancourt, assistant professor in the Psychology Department, and Dr. Melissa Anyiwo, associate professor in the History Department, will introduce and contextualize one film each Wednesday, beginning at 7 p.m.
“Black History Month is an important time for us to reflect on the experiences and contributions of Black people in American history. The Weinberg Memorial Library is proud to partner with the Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union on this important initiative," said George Aulisio, dean of the Weinberg Memorial Library at the University.
"The Library is committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and being a welcoming place for our community. Furthermore, the Library’s longstanding expertise with Media Resources was an obvious avenue for us to promote understanding and play our part to help create a more equitable future."
The film schedule is as follows:
- February 1, "Moonlight"
- February 8, "Blackkklansman"
- Feburary 15, "Whose Streets"
- Feb. 22, "Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975"
- Feb. 28, "Sparkle"
Faculty to introduce and contextualize Black History Month Film Series
Dr. Anyiwo, who joined the University in 2022, is an award-winning teacher and researcher who specializes in using historical methods to explore racial and gender stereotypes. Most recently, Dr. Anyiwo was a faculty member at Curry College as a professor of politics and history, and prior to that the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Dr. Anyiwo earned her bachelor’s degree in American studies and politics and her Ph.D. at the University of Wales Swansea, where her dissertation analyzed the dominant stereotypes of African-American women from the 16th century to present.
Dr. Betancourt, who joined the University in 2022, is the founder and chief executive officer of ABLE Research LLC in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. He brings to Scranton expertise in the subjects of bullying, scientific racism, learning disabilities and economic inequality. He has taught at the City College of New York and won a coveted fellowship at the City University of New York teaching undergraduate psychology.
Dr. Betancourt earned his Bachelor of Science in psychology at The University of Scranton, his Master of Arts in general theoretical psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and both his Master of Philosophy and his Ph.D. in educational psychology at the City University of New York.
The Black History Month Film Series is supported by a 2023 grant awarded by the Diversity Initiatives Review Board.
