UAB Briefs: Freedom songs, going international, family room
Welcome to another installment of UAB Briefs.
In this weekly online feature, we keep track of interesting people and events on campus.
Know people, places and programs on the UAB campus that deserve a mention? Email us at jchambers@starnespublishing.com.
Freedom songs
Each February, Black History Month gives the nation an occasion to celebrate the enormous contributions black Americans have made to the culture.
The Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center at UAB will celebrate Black History Month by presenting “Sing to Freedom: Music & Stories of The Underground Railroad” on Feb. 3 at 2 p.m., according to a UAB news release.
Singer and songwriter Reggie Harris, with his wife Kim, has developed this multimedia exploration of slavery and the quest for freedom, presented in story, song and narratives.
A musician and storyteller, Harris combines folk and gospel music with a strong background in classical, rock and pop.
“Sing to Freedom” is a carefully researched presentation that incorporates songs, stories, audience participation with a film segment.
The tickets are $10-$15.
Call 975-2787 or go to alysstephens.org.
Going international
The International Bazaar, an annual cultural diversity experience for students and community members at UAB, is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 31.
The free event -- part of UAB Community Week -- will be held in the Hill Student Center Ballroom from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., according to a university news release.
Participants will include both campus and community groups.
The bazaar will feature numerous dance performances from Afro-beat to Asian fusion and a performance by Miss UAB 2018 Vishwada Gunda, as well as trivia, henna, calligraphy and other activities.
The Social Justice Advocacy Council and Student Multicultural and Diversity Programs are sponsoring the program.
Helping families
The Ronald McDonald Family Room at UAB Women & Infants Center is now open and available to families who have children in the Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Continuing Care Nursery units.
The first of its kind in Birmingham, the Family Room provides a space for families to rest and regroup without being too far from their child.
The room offers three private sleeping rooms with their own bathrooms, showers, laundry facilities, and kitchen and dining areas, as well as common space.
Open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., the Family Room is monitored by a volunteer from the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama.
The room was paid for using UAB employee contributions to the university’s philanthropic Benevolent Fund.