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MSOE Events and Resources

World Hijab Day | Feb. 1 (Co-Sponsored by Multicultural Affairs)

Feb. 1 marks the first annual World Hijab Day in recognition of millions of Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab and live a life of modesty. Hijab is one of the iconic religious symbols of Islam. The Arab world, formally the Arab homeland, also known as the Arab nation, the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western Asia and Northern Africa. Islam in Africa is the continent's second most widely professed faith behind Christianity. Africa was the first continent into which Islam spread from Southwest Asia, during the early 7th century CE. Almost one-third of the world's Muslim population resides in Africa.

Campus events:

• World Hijab Day Table | Feb. 1, 2023
• World Hijab Day Debrief | Feb. 2, 2023  

Culture Uncovered: Nigeria | Feb. 3 and 6 (Hosted by Multicultural Affairs)

Culture Uncovered is a monthly dive into the diverse cultures that make up the fabric of the MSOE community.

Campus events:

• Nigeria Q&A with food and trivia | Feb. 3, 2023
• WMSE Culture Uncovered with Muyi Adonri | Feb. 6, 2023  

Professional Guest Speakers: Feature Black Professionals Working in the Midwest | Feb. 6

Mo Washburn, mechanical design engineer, Leonardo DRS; Michael Barber, former MICT CEO, GE; and Chino Imediegwu, director of product management, Generac, shared their professional journeys on Feb. 6.  

Tuesday Tea: Valentine's Day and France, French and the Francophonie | Feb. 14 (Hosted by Multicultural Affairs)

Learn about the European Summer Program at Tuesday Tea. Students who are interested in studying abroad in France, which has the largest Black population in Europe, can learn about the importance of Blackness as a social and political issue in France and master French while living in Lille.

Library Guide: Nigeria | All month long (Co-Supported by Multicultural Affairs)

The Walter Schroeder Library created a guide of library resources covering Nigerian cultures, art, history and more. This guide showcases the diversity of Nigerian and Nigerian American authors writing today. View the Black History Month: Library Resources.  

Community Events in Milwaukee

Black History Month Celebration, Milwaukee Film | All month long | various locations

The Black Lens Black History Month program includes four weeks of films and conversations dedicated to celebrating and honoring Black culture and tradition. Most events are FREE and open to the public (7 main events; 5 free to attend).  Learn more...

Magical Black Tears Experience: Museum Exhibition Pilot| All month long | Milwaukee Area Technical College

The Magical Black Tears Experience is an interactive exhibition based on the children’s picture book Magical Black Tears: A Protest Story by Decoteau J. Irby. Learn more. To purchase the book, visit: magicalblacktears.com.   

Black History Month Book Buffet at Milwaukee Public Library | All month long

Browse a curated spread of must-read books by Black authors during a reader’s advisory presentation in the library’s community room. Milwaukee Public Library has other Black History Month events and programming throughout the month, including a competitive reading challenge, book clubs, crafting and a documentary screening. Learn more.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: Under African Skies | Wednesdays in February

Experience stars, stories and cultural perspectives across the expansive African continent. Each Wednesday from Feb. 8–22 features a different guest speaker who will talk about their country, culture and connections to the night sky. Learn more.

LPRC Diversity Consulting Services| Black History Month in Wausau, WI

LPRC Diversity Consulting Services is partnering with a variety of community organizations to host a series of Black History Month events. Learn more.

Black Legacy Art Show| Feb. 23 | La Crosse, WI

This art show on Feb. 23 features 15 local artists’ work, some of which are for sale. This 21+ event features live music and drinks. Proceeds and donations from the art show will benefit La Crosse-based nonprofits Hope Restores and Black Leaders Acquiring Collective Knowledge. Learn more.

Notable Black STEM Professionals in the U.S. and around the World

Edward Bouchet

Field: Physicist and Educator

Known for: The first African American to earn a Ph.D. from any American university and the sixth person of any race to receive a Ph.D. in physics from an American university. He taught science at the Institute for Colored Youth for 26 years.  

Daniel Hale Williams

Field: Surgeon

Known for: Daniel Hale Williams was an African American surgeon, who in 1893 performed what is referred to as “the first successful heart surgery.” It was performed at Chicago's Provident Hospital, which he founded in 1891 as the first non-segregated hospital in the U.S.  

Annie Easley

Field: Computer Scientist, Mathematician and Rocket Scientist

Known for: Annie Easley worked at NASA as a “human computer,” performing complex mathematical calculations. She evolved with the technology—becoming an adept computer programmer and helped develop and implement code for numerous projects.  

Arthur Lewis

Field: Economics

Known for: Sir William Arthur Lewis was a Saint Lucian economist and the James Madison Professor of Political Economy at Princeton University. He was known for his contributions in the field of economic development. In 1979, he was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. He is the first and (so far) only black person to win a Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.  

Alexa Canady

Field: Surgeon, Educator

Known for: The first female African American neurosurgeon in the U.S., Alexa Canady was also the first female African American to be certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery. She specialized in pediatric neurosurgery and became the director of neurosurgery at the Children's Hospital. Under her guidance, the department was soon viewed as one of the best in the country.  

Mae Carol Jemison

Field: Engineer, Physician and NASA astronaut

Known for: American engineer, physician and NASA astronaut, Mae Carol Jemison became the first African American woman to travel in space when she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on Sept. 12, 1992.  

Gladys West

Field: Mathematician

Known for: Born and raised in Virginia, Gladys West leveraged her mathematical and programming expertise to invent an accurate model of the Earth which was used as the foundation for the creation of the Global Positioning System (GPS). She was the second Black woman ever to be employed by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division and was inducted into the U.S. Air Force Hall of Fame—one of the highest honors awarded by the Air Force.  

Maggie Aderin-Pocock

Field: Space Scientist and Astronomer

Known for: Maggie is a British space scientist and science educator. She is an honorary research associate of University College London’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. Since February 2014, she has co-presented the long-running astronomy television program, The Sky at Night with Chris Lintott. In 2020 she was awarded the Institute of Physics William Thomson, Lord Kelvin Medal and Prize for her public engagement in physics.

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