The UT Libraries will host an afternoon of events celebrating the achievements of African American students and faculty at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Music, poetry, displays — and more — are scheduled for Thursday, September 8, 2:00-4:00, in the John C. Hodges Library.

Events centered at the Melrose Place entrance (2nd floor) will include spoken-word and step-dancing performances, information booths, and a broadcast by WUTK Radio. Student-created videos on the topic of “civility” will be screened in the Mary E. Greer Room (Rm. 258). Special Collections, 211 Hodges Library, will feature a display of materials from the University Archives that chronicle milestones in the desegregation of the campus. This semester’s “Culture Corner” (1st floor) showcases titles from the Libraries’ collection relating to The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, the current Life of the Mind reading selection.

There will also be two free screenings of the film Miss Evers’ Boys. Laurence Fishburne and Alfre Woodard star in this drama, based on the true story of the US government’s 1932 Tuskegee Syphilis Experiments. Screenings at 2 p.m. (Rm. 212 Hodges Library) and 6 p.m. (Hodges Library Auditorium).

The September 8 event is part of the university’s yearlong celebration honoring the first African American undergraduate students and the rich legacy of African American achievement at UTK. The community is invited to the John C. Hodges Library, 1015 Volunteer Blvd., to celebrate and learn.