Amid the furor of activity this month ranging from the dance marathon to numerous "awareness weeks," a month-long celebration is under way at the University.

Black History Month at the University consists of a series of speakers, presentations and social events, highlighted by an exhibit at the Paul Robeson Cultural Center, all emphasizing the sometimes overlooked contributions of African Americans to society.

The University's location calls attention to the need for African-American awareness, said Lawrence Young, the center's director.

"If you look at the demographics of this community, the chances for any one individual having direct contact with someone who is not white are relatively slim," Young said.

The celebration, which originally began in 1926 as Negro History Week, is designed to increase awareness and appreciation of the accomplishments and contributions made by African Americans throughout history, Young said.

Asante Yirenkyi (freshman-business) said Black History Month creates a stronger sense of community and provides a time for teachers to educate students on otherwise ignored achievements of influential African Americans.

"Black History Month is a time for blacks to be proud of themselves, even though they should be proud all year," Yirenkyi said.

And LaVerne Gyant, interim director of the black studies program, said the celebration is not just a month-long issue.

"Black history is as important as anybody else's history," Gyant said. "So just because we celebrate in February does not mean that we shouldn't celebrate 365 days."

Although there isn't a large amount of student attendance, many black studies and religious studies classes are using the presentations as mandatory supplements to their curriculum, Gyant said.

Kenneth Clarke, a black studies professor and assistant director of religious affairs, said he takes advantage of the programs to "set a broad historical context to understanding how African Americans in this century have made achievements in society over racism."

The events celebrating Black History Month, co-sponsored by the black studies program and the cultural center, cover many aspects of African-American experiences and culture.

The feature presentation of the month is the photo exhibit, "Songs of My People," on loan from the Smithsonian Institution, according to the center's literature.

Other programs range from speakers such as Maulana Karenga, founder of the Kwanzaa holiday, and Brenda Verner, a media and advertising analyst, to a Malcolm X symposium and various performances.