Black Cultural Center releases spring 2021 virtual events
Note to journalists: Journalists visiting campus should follow visitor health guidelines.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University’s Black Cultural Center is releasing the upcoming schedule of virtual events.
All events are free. Registration is required for all events and can be done via the BCC’s website.
* Now-Feb. 28 — “The Rudiments of SuPre” by Boyd Smith at the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, 102 S. 10th St., Lafayette. In 1995, a criminologist named John Dilulio falsely predicted that there would be an explosion of violence caused by young Black men, whom he termed “super predators.” This myth created a baseless fear that heightened government surveillance programs, intensified policing, and fueled mass incarceration of the Black community. Boyd Smith earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Electronic and Time-based Art from Purdue. This exhibition is his thesis project, a series that highlights the unjust racial violence in America and provides a visual space to claim justice for the Black community. “The Rudiments of SuPre” is a collection that reflects on how the idea of super predator shapes the violent realities experienced by Black people in our contemporary moment. Smith explores mixed media practices in order to highlight the complexities of this lived experience and works to provide a counter visual that re-sensitizes the audience to Black bodies and Black life. The creation of “SuPre,” a fictional character in Smith’s work, helps to challenge the demonization of Black boys as super predators and instead allows them to see themselves as protectors of their communities.