The conference, which includes numerous workshops and a banquet and brunch, will focus this year on the theme “Elevating the Health and Safety of the Black Family and Community.”��

The Feb. 23 keynote speaker is Melissa Harris-Perry, the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair at Wake Forest University, former host of the MSNBC show “Melissa Harris-Perry” and former editor of Elle.com.

The Feb. 24 brunch keynote speaker is Sybrina Fulton, who has dedicated her life to transforming family tragedy into social change following the death of her 17-year-old son Trayvon Martin in 2012. Last year, Fulton released “Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin,” the book she co-authored with Tracy Martin that shares the story of her son’s life and death and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Dr. Joseph McMillan, a University of Louisville administrator for 30 years and a community activist, founded the conference, which was renamed in his honor in 2010.

��for a full schedule of events.����is required in advance and must be completed by Feb. 12. There will be no on-site registration. Registration for the full conference is $200. Tickets for individual days are $125. Reduced registration rates are available for students. Banquet and brunch tables may be purchased as well. ��

Music, theater and more

The School of Music’s 22^nd annual African American Music Heritage Institute is on Feb. 5, featuring clinics, lectures, workshops and performances.

At 8 p.m., , a group that celebrates diversity through chamber music theater, will present the program The program features actress Shayla Simmons and a trio of cello, piano and percussion players honoring the lives of four significant African American women: ex-slave and abolitionist Sojourner Truth, novelist and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, folk artist Clementine Hunter and civil rights worker Fannie Lou Hamer. The text is by Kim Hines, and the musical score is drawn from the spirituals of the Deep South, the urban exuberance of the Jazz Age and concert music by African American composers including Diane Monroe.

Other institute events include a workshop presentation for area students and their instructors at 10 a.m. and an informal question-and-answer session with performers at 3 p.m. All events are in Comstock Concert Hall, School of Music, 2301 S. Third St.

On each February Sunday from 3-6 p.m., the Louisville Free Public Library, in partnership with the Health Sciences Center UofL Office of Diversity and Inclusion, will host the .��

The series opens Feb. 4 with “Marshall,” followed by “Hidden Figures” on Feb. 11; “42: The Jackie Robinson Stories,” Feb. 18; and “Loving” on Feb. 24. All of the films will be followed by a discussion led by UofL faculty.��

The University of Louisville-Yearlings Club spring forum series will include the Black History Month program, “The Art of Protest through Cultural Expression,” on Feb. 11 from 4-6 p.m. UofL faculty panelists will include Baron Kelly, head of acting; Johnnie Jones, African American Theater Program director; and Michael Brandon McCormack, Pan-African studies assistant professor.

The UofL College of Arts and Sciences’ international, diversity and engagement programs office hosts the free, public forums in partnership with the Yearlings at the civic club’s 4309 W. Broadway location.

On Feb. 13 from 5-7 p.m., UofL’s Porter Scholars will gather for a game night centered on black history. The event, at the Cultural Center, also includes cultural food, games and black history-themed prizes.

From Feb. 23 through March 4, the African American Theatre Program presents “.” Directed by Jacqueline Thompson, “Fabulation” is a social satire about an ambitious, haughty African-American woman, Undine Barnes Calles, whose husband suddenly disappears after embezzling all of her money. Pregnant and on the brink of social and financial ruin, Undine retreats to her childhood home in Brooklyn’s Walt Whitman projects, only to discover that she must cope with a crude new reality. Undine faces the challenge of transforming her setbacks into small victories in a battle for self-affirmation. Written by Lynn Nottage, “Fabulation” is a comeuppance tale with a comic twist.

The play starts at 8 p.m. Feb. 23 and 24 and at 3 p.m. Feb. 25. It resumes at 8 p.m. March 1-3 and at 3 p.m. March 4 in the Thrust Theatre Studio Arts Building, 2314 South Floyd St.

Acclaimed saxophone player will headline the University of Louisville School of Music’s 26^th annual Feb. 22-24. Jazz Fest brings jazz music’s most celebrated names to Louisville for concerts, workshops and master classes to honor��America’s indigenous music.��

Evans, who plays tenor and soprano saxophones, was a member of the Miles Davis group in the 1980s and the fusion band Elements. He has recorded 17 solo albums and received two��Grammy Award��nominations. He will perform at 8 p.m. Feb. 24

Nightly concerts are in Comstock Concert Hall, School of Music, 2301 S. Third St. Performances are $20 for general admission and student tickets are $5 with a valid student ID, unless otherwise noted. Tickets can be purchased in the School of Music lobby. For more information or a full schedule of events, call 502-852-6907 or visit .��

Feb. 1: A black history celebration and keynote address by , an activist for black, Muslim and femme communities and executive director of Equality for HER. The 6 p.m. program in Strickler Hall’s auditorium begins with music by UofL’s Black Diamond Choir followed by more music, dances and comments from students and community members around the theme of “Carrying the Torch.”

Feb. 2-6 and 9-12: “,” a play by Kirsten Greenidge and directed by Theatre Arts Department Chair and Professor Nefertiti Burton. Performed by students in the African American Theatre Program, the play examines the implications and aftermath of a racially charged incident on a college campus. Performances are Feb. 2-6 and Feb. 9-12 (no performances Feb. 7-8) at 8 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays, Thrust Theatre, 2314 S. Floyd St. is $8-$15.

Feb. 13: Composer and conductor performs with the University Symphonic Band and Noe Middle School Band as part of an African American Music Heritage Institute , 7 p.m., School of Music, Comstock Hall. General admission is $10 and $5 for students. It is free for UofL students.

Feb. 17-26: “Empowerment: Making and Shaping History,” a at the Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium that explores themes in social justice. Shows are 6 p.m. Feb. 17, 18 and 24 and 2 p.m. Feb. 18, 19, 25 and 26.

Feb. 19: “A Salute to African American Athletes: Trailblazers Who Broke Color Barriers in College Sports” will be the UofL/Yearlings Club’s Black History Month , 4-6 p.m., Yearlings Club, 4309 W. Broadway.��

UofL also offers free online guides to two Louisville civil rights tours: , compiled by the Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research, and a noting civil rights demonstration spots near businesses that refused to serve African Americans.��The College of Arts and Sciences developed both tours with community partners.

The UofL College of Arts and Sciences’ international, diversity and engagement programs office is offering the free, public forums in partnership with the Yearlings at the civic club’s 4309 W. Broadway location. The series, part of the Signature Partnership Initiative, seeks to bring faculty members and the public together to share expertise, discuss issues and forge common bonds.

The events run 4-6 p.m. monthly on Sundays (unless otherwise indicated) from September through April. The April 11 program will be 6-8 p.m. Tuesday.

The schedule includes:

Jan. 22 – “Putting Students First: Creating a Community of Learners.” Panelists will include Kentucky ����ֱ�� and Workforce Development Cabinet Secretary Hal Heiner, Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Donna Hargens and Jefferson County Teachers Association President Brent McKim, with UofL Pan-African studies professor Carson Byrd as moderator. Topics will include the educational needs of urban youth, school choice and charter schools.

Feb. 19 – “A Salute to African-American Athletes: Trailblazers Who Broke Color Barriers in College Sports.”

March 19 – “Women’s History Month Program: Honoring ‘Hidden Figures’ in Kentucky’s History.”

April 11 – “Annual Community Spirit Awards.” Reception will honor distinguished citizens for their service. (6-8 p.m. Tuesday).

The Yearlings Club Inc. was established in 1951 and its members include representatives from corporate, government and private organizations. The club is devoted to promoting civic responsibility, community service and leadership development.