The Center for Multicultural Education at Missouri Western State University has several events planned throughout February in celebration of Black History Month. Many events are free and open to the public.

Porsha Olayiwola, 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, Kemper Recital Hall (Spratt Hall, room 101)

Olayiwola is the 2014 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion and 2015 National Poetry Slam Champion. She separates herself from the field of issue-based performance poets by applying advanced political analysis to examine injustice while providing perspective on concrete solutions.

Charles Drew Blood Drive, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13, Hoff Conference Rooms (Blum Student Union, rooms 218-219)

Charles R. Drew was an African-American physician and medical researcher who pioneered blood storage techniques. The goal of the blood drive is to raise awareness of the importance of blood donation and to increase the number of African-American donors for sickle cell patients.

Black Love, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14, Hoff Conference Room (Blum 218-219)

Bring your Valentine’s Day date to celebrate Black Love with the Black Student Union.

Movie Night: “Detroit,” 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, Hoff Conference Room (Blum 218)

“Detroit” tells the gripping story of one of the darkest moments during the civil unrest that rocked Detroit in the summer of 1967.

Soul Food Lunch, 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, Blum Union Dining Hall

Enjoy some soul food favorites for lunch. The CME in Blum 207 will be handing out 50 free tickets if you can answer a trivia question on black history.

Black History Trivia Night, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, Blum 222-223

Teams of five must sign up in Blum 207 by Feb. 13. Each member of the winning team will win either an Amazon Fire Stick or a tablet.

Black Heritage Dinner, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28, Enright Community Rooms (Spratt Hall, rooms 214-216)

The Black Student Union will host the dinner to close out Black History Month. RSVP by Feb. 22 by calling 816-271-4150 or email bsu@missouriwestern.edu.

Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.