This Black History Month, join Bruins for music, art, screenings and discussions around poetry, jazz, film and dance. The events touch upon themes of visibility, Afrofuturism, loss, music composition and more.

This list represents a fraction of the programming offered at UCLA throughout the year. Follow campus units such as the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies and the African American studies department, as well as the Black Bruin Resource Center, which hosts a wide range of programming focused on Black lives, experiences and research on campus and in the community.


Feb. 9 to May 4

Alice Coltrane, Monument Eternal

Alice Coltrane is the focus of a new exhibition presented by the Hammer Museum at UCLA, which delves into the life and legacy of the jazz musician, devotional leader and mother. Named after her book, “Monument Eternal,” it will feature works by contemporary artists paired with objects from Coltrane’s personal archive, such as sheet music and unreleased audio recordings. Works will be in the form of video, installation, performance and sculpture, and will engage with themes of spiritual transcendence, personal loss and innovation.

Admission to the exhibition is free.


Feb. 13, 5:30 p.m.

A Conversation with Michael Abels
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Abels, best known for his genre-defying and award-winning scores for “Star Wars: The Acolyte” and Jordan Peele films “Get Out,” “Us” and “Nope,” is coming to UCLA for a conversation hosted by the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music’s Center for Musical Humanities.

Abels’ lecture, which will take place in Lani Hall at the Schoenburg Music Building, is free with registration. Seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis.


Feb. 13, 7 p.m.

25th anniversary of Hip-hop Feminisms: Joan Morgan's ‘When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost
In 2000, Joan Morgan’s “When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost” galvanized a new generation of Black feminists with a breakdown of the gender, race and power dynamics of hip-hop culture. Presented in partnership with UCLA’s Bunche Center for African American Studies, the California African American Museum will host a discussion reflecting on the impact of Morgan’s work and its relevance in today’s discourse around hip-hop feminism. The evening will feature scholars and cultural critics including Mark Anthony Neal, Treva Lindsey and Brittany Cooper, moderated by historian, journalist and UCLA alumnus Jeff Chang.

The discussion will take place at the California African American Museum. RSVP is requested.


Feb. 14, 7 p.m.

In the Beginning Was the Word – Nathaniel Mackey
Poet Nathaniel Mackey will present an evening of spoken word poetry and jazz music at the Herb Alpert School of Music. Mackey is known for his expansive world-building and intensive exploration of the relationship between music and poetry. Mackey’s reading will be paired with guest musicians and distinguished faculty member Salim Washington.

The performance will be livestreamed online from Schoenberg Hall.


Feb. 15, 9 p.m.

BLACK HOLE – Trilogy And Triathlon
The Center for the Art of Performance will host BLACK HOLE — Trilogy and Triathlon, an uninterrupted hour-long art performance created by award-winning choreographer Shamel Pitts. Through the journey of three performers of African heritage, including Pitts, BLACK HOLE will weave together dance, sound, video and light in an exploration of collective Afrofuturist empowerment.

The performance will be held at the Glorya Kaufman Dance Theater. Tickets must be purchased online. 


Feb. 16, 7 p.m.

Archive Talks: ‘No Way Out’

The UCLA Film & Television Archive will host a screening of the films “Daydream Therapy” and “No Way Out” as part of its Archive Talks series. Held at the Billy Wilder Theater, the series pairs historians with screenings of the films they’ve researched, revealing fascinating new insights and contexts. The program will also have Ellen Scott, associate professor and author of Cinema Civil Rights, introduce the film with a special talk, followed by a Q&A.  

Admission is free, with no advance reservations. Seating will be assigned upon receiving a ticket at the box office.


Feb. 18, 7:30 p.m. 

Coltrane on Coltrane: An Oral History
As part of the “Alice Coltrane, Monument Eternal” exhibition, Coltrane’s daughter, vocalist Michelle Coltrane, and harpist Brandee Younger come together for an interwoven conversation and performance. The event will feature oral histories and biographical stories about Alice Coltrane along with performances by Younger that bring the stories to life.  

The event will be held at the Hammer Museum. Admission is free and seats are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.


Feb. 20, noon to 3 p.m.

Blatinx on the Block

The Afro-Latinx Connection de UCLA will host a celebration of the Afro-Latinx diaspora. The first of its kind at UCLA, Blatinx on the Block invites attendees to experience Blatinx culture through food, music, dancing and vendors. 

This public event will be hosted in Wilson Plaza.


Feb. 21, 7:30 p.m.

Documenting Michelle Parkerson Series: ‘... But Then, She's Betty Carter’ and ‘Gotta Make This Journey: Sweet Honey in the Rock’

Filmmaker Michelle Parkerson will visit the Billy Wilder Theater for an in-person Q&A and screenings of three films: two documentaries on Black cultural history that Parkerson directed — “Fierceness Served! The ENIKAlley Coffeehouse” and “But Then, She's Betty Carter” — followed by “Gotta Make This Journey: Sweet Honey in the Rock,” a documentary about the a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock. 

Screenings are free. Seats will be assigned at the box office on a first-come, first-served basis.


Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m.

Documenting Michelle Parkerson Series: ‘A Litany For Survival’ and ‘The Life and Work of Audre Lorde’

Michelle Parkerson will return to the Billy Wilder Theater with collaborators Ada Gay Griffin and Felecia Howell for a Q&A and screening of three films on race, gender and sexuality. Directed by Parkerson, “Odds and Ends” is a near-future drama featuring Black women warriors who wage war on race and gender, while “Stormé: The Lady of the Jewel Box” documents the story of “male impersonator” Stormé DeLarverie. “A Litany For Survival: The Life and Work of Audre Lorde,” directed by Griffin, tells the story of the Black lesbian poet through experimental editing. 

Screenings are free. Seats will be assigned at the box office on a first-come, first-served basis.


Feb. 22, 8 p.m.

“Aster of Ceremonies”
Join the Center for the Art of Performance for a live show by experimental musician Grenadian-Jamaican-American artist JJJJJerome Ellis. A boundary-pushing exploration of Blackness, stuttering and divinity through art, Ellis’ work transforms archival documents into soundscapes and multimedia poetry.

The performance will be held at the Nimoy Theater. Tickets can be purchased online.


Feb. 27, 6:00 p.m.

'Citizen Ashe' film screening

The Arthur Ashe Legacy Project at UCLA will host a screening of “Citizen Ashe,” a documentary on the life and influence of UCLA alumnus Arthur Ashe. Ashe was not only a groundbreaking tennis champion but also a humanitarian and advocate for social justice, civil rights, health and education. The event is part of a yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of his historic Wimbledon victory. 
 
The screening will take place at the Northwest Campus Auditorium. Registration is required. 


Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m.

Legacy Project Screening Series: ‘Portal’ and ‘Brother to Brother’

In partnership with Queer Film Los Angeles, the UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Andrew J. Kuehn Jr. Foundation will be screening two films about Black life and human connection in America. “Portal” is an intimate visual essay documenting the COVID-19 pandemic through poetry, prose and audio recordings. “Brother to Brother” follows fictional character Perry Williams, a Black art student, as he navigates success in a white-dominated sphere and develops a friendship with a leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance.
 
The free screenings will be held at the Billy Wilder Theater. Seats will be assigned at the box office on a first-come, first-served basis.