HISTORY | Yoke of yesteryear

The University of Illinois Springfield is holding more than a dozen events in February to celebrate Black History Month. Highlights this week are a Celebration of Gospel on Sunday, Feb. 10, from 6-9 p.m., in Brookens Auditorium showcasing the history of gospel music and its artists and musicians. Wednesday, Feb. 13, 7 p.m., is Engaged Citizenship Common Experience Speakers Series presenting “From Maid to Millionaire.” Dr. Rhondda Robinson Thomas, assistant professor of African-American Literature at Clemson University, will present a multimedia presentation examining the neglected stories of African-American domestics in the North, particularly the experiences of young African-American women who relocated to Cleveland during the Great Migration and found employment, housing and recreation at the Phillis Wheatley Association. Check UIS, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and Lincoln Land Community College for numerous other Black History Month events.