ATHENS, Ohio – In celebration of Black History Month, Ohio University's Department of African American Studies will focus in February on the history of the African-American experience in the Ohio River Valley.

Henry Burke, an area author and historian, will give a talk on Judge Ephraim Cutler, the Underground Railroad and resistance in the Ohio River Valley at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, in the 1804 Room in Baker University Center. A reception will follow the talk. The event is free and open to the public.

Burke is the author of "The River Jordan: A True Story of the Underground Railroad" which chronicles a freed Virginia slave's escape to Canada. He is a member of the Ohio Bicentennial Commission and the Underground Railroad and Civil War Council.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, the department is hosting a community day in Nelson Commons on Ohio University's campus. Historical artifacts and the work of more than 100 local craftsmen will be on display, including that of Kilvert Quilters. New research is being conducted on the quilts produced in Kilvert during the Underground Railroad's heyday. It is known that coded directions were stitched into quilts used in safe houses along the escape route, but new research indicates the original codes for these messages were developed in Kilvert, located 15 miles northeast of Athens in Athens County. Performances will take place throughout the day. The event is free and open to the public.

The Black History Month programs are organized by the Department of African American Studies and supported by the College of Arts and Sciences, Dean of Students, Student Affairs, Residence Life, Multicultural Programs, Ohio University Telecommunications Center, Konneker Alumni Center, the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, and the Multicultural Genealogical Society, Chester Hill.