CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Ohio University Chillicothe will host a Black History Month program on Thursday, Feb. 19, in partnership with the Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library and the Ross County Chapter of the NAACP.
The free, public event will center on the national 2026 theme, “A Century of Black History Commemorations,” and will take place at Bennett Hall on the Ohio University Chillicothe campus.
Activities will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a social gathering outside the Bennett Hall Auditorium, where attendees can enjoy light refreshments. A special exhibit featuring a collection of hats owned by the late Queen Lester will also be on display in the Patricia Scott Memorial Art Gallery. Lester was an active member of the local NAACP, the League of Women Voters, and several other community organizations.
The main program will begin at 7 p.m. in the Bennett Hall Auditorium and will include a presentation by local historian Alicia Gray, along with musical performances by Lawrence Greene and the Unified Gospel Choir, directed by Ric McConnell.
Gray is a longtime educator and community leader who currently serves as special collections librarian, archivist, and grants coordinator at the Ross County Historical Society. Greene, founder of Ugata Drum and Dance in Athens County, will lead a participatory drumming experience featuring Kuku, a traditional West African rhythm, and will invite audience members to join in.
The event is open to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members.
