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Northwest College continues its celebration of African American History Month with February events that focus on Harriet Tubman and the history of blues music in the American South.
NWC Associate Professor of Music Robert Rumbolz and Instructor of Music Jeff Troxel will demonstrate the progression of the 12-bar blues during a 7 p.m. program Monday, Feb. 20, at the NWC Intercultural House.
Named for its number of measures, 12-bar blues is the standard progression or series of musical notes used to express the theme of many distinctive blues songs. Musicologists trace the origins of modern blues back centuries to a period in West Africa before the onset of slavery in North America.
Amy McKinney, an assistant professor of history at Northwest, will conclude the month-long celebration on Wednesday, Feb. 22, in the NWC Intercultural House with a program that explores the life and accomplishments of Harriet Tubman.
Born into slavery in Maryland in 1820, Tubman successfully escaped in to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1849 and went on to help free enslaved people using a network of safe houses known as the Underground Railroad.
In April 2016, the United States Treasury announced that Tubman will replace President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. Tubman is the first African American, and the first woman in more than one century, to be featured on United States currency.
Both programs are sponsored by the NWC Office of Intercultural Programs. Admission is Free.