EIU Media Relations

Tickets Still Available for African-American Heritage Celebration Banquet

The deadline for purchasing tickets for this year's African American Heritage Celebration Banquet, scheduled to take place at Eastern Illinois University this Saturday, has been extended to noon Thursday, Feb. 5.

Tickets, priced at $14 per person ($6 for children six to 12 and EIU students with Panther Card ID), can be purchased through Eastern's ticket box office, located on the second floor of the west side of the University Union. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, and phone orders [(217) 581-5122] will be allowed. Cash, check, Visa and MasterCard will be accepted.

The banquet, set to begin at 6 p.m. , will take place in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

This year's banquet, which will feature its traditional "soul food" cuisine, will highlight the high-energy story-telling talents of Linda Gorham as she tells the tale of "The Little Rock Nine and Me."

Gorham, whose repertoire includes folktales, inspirational stories, fables and others, is recognized for her "participatory" storytelling. Her Web site tells potential audience members to get ready to chant, to move and to have fun!

And, she adds, "sometimes we even get LOUD!"

In addition, the banquet also will serve as a showcase for merchandise by Diallo Tailoring & African Clothes of Chicago, Ill.

The Spring 2004 banquet serves as only one of this year's celebration events. In an attempt to attract people from a diverse population of students, staff and community members, organizers have scheduled movies, lectures and other events to take place throughout the month of February. The theme of this year's celebration is "Reconnecting with Our Past, Living in Our Present and Planning for Our Future."

Other events coming up soon include "Living History: The Struggles and Triumphs of African-Americans at EIU," a panel discussion featuring Eastern alumni. Admission to this event -- scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, in Seventh Street Underground (basement, University Union) -- is free and open to the public.

As part of its Gender and Popcorn Series , Eastern's Women's Studies will present "Mississippi Masala" at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, in the lower level of Stevenson Hall. The movie examines the plight of an Indian family expelled from Uganda when Idi Amin takes power. When the family moves to Mississippi , the Indian daughter falls in love with a black man, and the respective families have to come to terms with it. Admission is free and open to the public.