An observer examines a research poster at the fall 2016 Men of Color Enquiry. Photo courtesy of Cedric Hackett.

The spring 2017 Biannual Men of Color Enquiry & Student Research Poster Session will be held at California State University, Northridge at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 17,  at the University Student Union (USU) Northridge Center.

The event, organized by CSUN Africana Studies professor Cedric Hackett, will highlight research conducted by students from Hackett’s The Black Man in Contemporary Times class. Students will present posters on topics pertaining to the trials and tribulations black men face in professional settings and day-to-day life. The event also will feature guest speaker Fluke Fluker, co-founder of The Village Nation and a teacher at El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills.

The posters on display will echo the event’s theme — “Roots of Resilience & Reconciliation” — and focus on how African-American men meet and overcome the unique challenges they face in contemporary society, while also reflecting on their historical efforts to strive for equality and recognition.

“We want to explore ways black men have been subjugated by violence — including violence from the intellectual community — and how they reconcile these issues to achieve self-worth, self-efficacy and above all, self-actualization,” Hackett said. “It’s an intellectual exercise.”

Hackett emphasized the range of perspectives and scenarios he wanted his students to consider while developing their posters.

“We do this poster series to invite the community to view research my students have done in regard to the black male. This could mean black men in fashion, black male parents — and those who might be single parents — black men in movies, music and every walk of life,” he said. “We’re open to exploring anything black men go through and the processes of reconciliation they undergo.”

Hackett said he wants his students to come away from this exercise with the ability to use theoretical frameworks and existing research, to form strong arguments and provide evidence for the concepts they advance. He described the event as a “snapshot of their education.”

In addition to the poster session and guest speaker, the Men of Color Enquiry will feature a drum performance led by Derf Reklaw-Raheem and a series of spoken-word performances dubbed “The Black Man-ologues.” Hackett described the latter as a reworking of “The Vagina Monologues” focused on exploring the character of African-American men.

The Biannual Men of Color Enquiry & Student Research Poster Session is open to the public and free to attend. Communication services, such as sign language interpreters and assistive-listening devices, are available, but must be requested at least five business days in advance. The USU is located on the east side of the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge.

For more information, contact Cedric Hackett at cedric.hackett@csun.edu or (818) 677-3311.

Department of Africana Studies, Men of Color Enquiry, Roots of Resilience & Reconcilliation