LEWISTON, Idaho – Lewis-Clark State College will hold six events in September as part of its Multicultural Discovery, formerly known as Multicultural Awareness Month.
All events are free and open to the public.
The annual Native American Friendship Lunch kicks off the events on Sept. 8 at 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at Pi’amkinwaas, located at 1112 7th St. in Lewiston. The lunch features elk stew and discussions pertinent to promoting Native American awareness and culture.
During the lunch at noon-1:15 p.m., Benjamin Hunter of Seattle will deliver the keynote address entitled “The Renaissance of Folk,” which examines how a class of culture can be fruitful, exciting, and guided by strength, passion and kindness.
Hunter is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, composer, singer, community activist, social entrepreneur, and educator. His work explores the intersections of music and art, community, policy, and culture. In 2016, Benjamin’s American Roots duo with Joe Seamons took first place in the International Blues Competition. In 2018, he composed the music for the critically acclaimed production, Black Bois. With his primary instrument the violin, he is as comfortable playing classical as he is blues and jazz. City Arts Magazine wrote, “The music he plays not only spans an array of genres but a huge swath of history.” Hunter also is the founder and director of Community Arts Create and is a member of the Seattle Music Commission.
Later that evening, Hunter will perform an evening of American folk music/roots music at 6:30-8 p.m. at the LC State Center for Arts & History, located at 415 Main St. in Lewiston.
On Sept. 16 will be the Food and Culture Night at the LC State Williams Conference Center. LC State international students will hold a potluck and attendees can sample food from around the world at 6-7:30 p.m. The highly popular event regularly attracts around 300 people. In addition to the food, there will be music, performances and creative crafts from around the world. A dance will follow at 8-11 p.m.
The LC State International Programs Office and international clubs will hold a Discover Culture Table event on Sept. 20 at noon-1:15 p.m. at the Centennial Mall on campus. It will be moved inside to the Student Union Building if raining. The event features a discover culture series exhibition where participants can engage in country specific activities and learning.
The final event will be Sharing Our Stories, an online event on Zoom. It will be held on Sept. 29 at noon-1:15 p.m. and features a panel discussion led by moderator Kerensa Allison. The panel will examine the challenges and opportunities presented by an increasing multicultural dynamic in our schools, work and communities.
As well as those specific events, KLCZ will stream international music throughout the month and the LC State Learning Garden, located at 816 7th St., will have Discover Cultures in the Garden. Visitors to the garden will see pictures and stories about favorite nature places and also can share their own photos and stories.
For more information contact Kerensa Allison at klallison@lcsc.edu or 208-792-2348, or visit the event website.