Hudson County Community College to Celebrate Black History and Human Rights with Malcolm X’s Daughter and Artists’ Exhibition
January 24, 2025
January 24, 2025, Jersey City, NJ – Throughout history, activists have fought to attain and preserve equal accessibility, opportunity, recognition, and protection. These fundamental rights include the right to vote, marry, own property, attain an education, enjoy privacy, assemble peacefully, and more. Whether one is Black, Hispanic, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or a member of any other group, effecting change often begins through creative expression, namely the visual and performing arts and spoken and written word.
The parallel legacies of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X reflect the civil rights movement that evolved through the decades. In celebration of Black history and human rights, Hudson County Community College (HCCC) will welcome Malcolm X’s daughter, Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz, at the 2025 Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. Memorial. The event will be held Tuesday, January 28, 10:30 a.m. at the HCCC Culinary Conference Center, 161 Newkirk Street in Jersey City, NJ. Afterwards, the HCCC Office of Cultural Affairs will present the opening reception of the College’s Civil Rights Exhibition at 1 p.m. in the Benjamin J. Dineen and Dennis C. Hull Gallery. There is no charge for admission. Guests may RSVP at https://form.jotform.com/242805965321155.
Artworks by Jerome China (left) and Heather William are featured in “Pathways to Freedom: We Get to Tell the Story,” one of three Civil Rights Exhibitions opening on Tuesday, Jan. 28 at Hudson County Community College.
Dr. Shabazz is an author, public speaker, and activist who promotes interfaith dialogue to build bridges between cultures for young world leaders. She was the inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Fellow at Worchester State University for the 2023-2024 academic year. Dr. Shabazz is an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and has taught a variety of courses including American Cultural Pluralism and the Law.
“We are honored to welcome Dr. Shabazz as our guest speaker and look forward to unveiling art that underscores human rights as the foundation for a free and just society,” said HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber. “These three new exhibitions empower artists, trace history, and remind us to be vigilant in protecting our rights and freedoms.”
The exhibitions include:
“Pathways to Freedom: We Get to Tell the Story” features historical objects and documents from the Linwood Pledger, Jr. Archive of Black History, curated by archivist, historian and HCCC Assistant Professor, Dorothy Anderson, and HCCC African American History students. The archive includes slave contracts, 19th Century slave owners’ wills, and first-edition books from renowned Black writers. Artwork by Jerome China, Antoinette Ellis-Williams, Heather Williams and Bernard Jackson illuminate pathways to freedom themes. Meet the artists, February 27, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
“Curious Matter: A Legacy of Art & Inquiry” highlights the vision and contributions of married collaborators Raymond E. Mingst and Arthur Bruso. Founders of Curious Matter art gallery in Jersey City, the artist-curators have partnered with the Jersey City Free Public Library, Hudson County Community College, and several other organizations over the past two decades. This exhibition highlights their "cabinet of curiosities" approach, presenting a selection of catalogues and archival materials. A special feature of the exhibition is Le Bouquiniste, their mobile book kiosk inspired by booksellers along the Seine in Paris and New York’s vanished Book Row. Le Bouquiniste brought an intimate and unexpected encounter with contemporary art and literature to public spaces. Visitors may preview Arthur Bruso’s forthcoming book, A Slant of Shadow, a collection of essays that explore art objects that transcend beauty, becoming vessels of supernatural intent. Meet the artists, February 27, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
“Poetry as Illumination” celebrates LGBTQIA life in Hudson County with poets from Jersey City Public Schools and throughout Hudson County. Anyone may add their own poem on the Gallery community wall Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., January 28 through March 28, 2025. Hudson County is home to one of the largest LGBTQI+ communities in New Jersey, with more than 400 same-sex couple households, many of whom find expression in the visual and performing arts at open-mics, cultural festivals, and networking opportunities through Hudson Pride. Reception: January 28, 1 - 3 p.m.
The exhibitions will be on display through March 28 at the Benjamin J. Dineen III and Dennis C. Hull Gallery, open Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.