WILMINGTON — Wilmington College will join schools, cities and organizations across the country with programming designed to recognize the influence and many accomplishments of African-Americans as it observes Black History Month throughout February.

Activities will commence Feb. 1 when the College holds a lunch lecture highlighting “Why Is It Important to Have a Black Greek Presence on a Predominantly White Campus?” at noon in the McCoy Room of Kelly Center.

Speaking will be Robert M. Clark Jr., the international grand polaris of Iota Phi Theta fraternity, which is a historically black organization that has a chapter at WC. Clark, who will speak again that evening at the Greek pledge education program, is a tenured faculty member at City College of San Francisco.

On Feb. 8, Jonathan Blanchard and the Usual Suspects will present a program of “Music that Fueled the Civil Rights Movement” at 9 p.m. in the Top of Pyle Center. From Billie Holiday and Mahalia Jackson to Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye and Sly Stone, the iconic music of the era captured the vitality and idealism of the movement.

Comedian Josh Johnson will take his standup comedy routine to the Top of Pyle Center Feb. 18 at 9:09 p.m. An ensemble member of Chicago’s Under the Gun Theater, he is a regular in Chicago comedy clubs and has performed across the country at such locales as Snubfest, New Orleans Comedy Festival, Orlando Indie Comedy Festival and Epic Fest.

The campus group, Black Student Initiative (BSI), will present its annual African Village program Feb. 23 at 8 p.m., In the Top of Pyle Center, highlighting the words, music and dance of a people’s centuries-old struggle for freedom and justice.

Other activities throughout the month include traveling to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati Feb. 18, a student trip to Atlanta, BSI Movie Night, trivia contests and a visit to the African-American History Museum in Wilberforce.