Black History Month Kick Off

The Black Heritage Council’s Black History Month events kick off on Sunday, February 2. 2014 at Mayes Community Temple Church of God in Christ. The theme for the kickoff and the month’s events will be “Black History: Looking Back at the History of a Time.”

The kickoff ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. at the 801 Bennett St. church. The event is an opportunity to reflect on the contributions of African-Americans as well as Nelson Mandela, who spent more than three decades in prison for opposing apartheid before becoming South Africa’s first black president.

Keynote speaker for the kickoff will be Zoraba Ross, a 1983 graduate of Marion Harding High School who now serves as an assistant principal and athletic director at Central Crossing High School in South-Western City School District. He previously served as assistant executive director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Performing and Cultural Arts Complex, worked as recreation administration coordinator for Columbus Recreation and Parks and taught physical education at West Broad Elementary School in Columbus Public School District.

Ross, who served as captain of the track team while attending The Ohio State University, went on to coach at the college and high school levels.

For more information on the events, contact Black Heritage Council member Tara Dyer at 740-751-8050.