Jim Lucas, an impressionist of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., firmly spoke out against discrimination last Friday in Alumni Hall, kicking off Quinnipiac’s annual celebration of Black History Month.

“He has done more for individual citizens in this country than perhaps any other individual,” Lucas said while speaking of King.

Lucas covered many aspects of King’s life, beginning with his involvement with segregation on buses during the Rosa Parks incident and ending with his death. He also recited part of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, along with other influential statements made by King.

Quinnipiac’s Black History Month Committee, consisting of faculty, students and staff, has worked hard to prepare an event-filled month with famous speakers, jazz concerts, games and movies.

Headed by co-chairs Ed Kovacs and Virginia Hughes, the committee has decided upon a wide range of events to help the Quinnipiac community recognize the achievements of African Americans throughout history.

“We’ve moved towards a better balance of events,” Hughes said, when reflecting on the enriching aspects of Black History Month. “Black History Month must first and foremost be informative for students,” she said.

On Feb. 1 at 8 p.m., Todd Liu, a residence hall director, along with resident assistants and the entire department of Residential Life, will have a “Black History Extravaganza” in the residence halls. The event will involve a screening of “Get On The Bus,” a movie by Spike Lee, along with prizes, food and stories of African American culture.

To kick off the musical celebration, jazz performer Avery Sharpe will visit the university on Feb. 5 to provide musical entertainment with Fidelio at 7 p.m. in Buckman Theatre.

This event will involve musical selections of American jazz and other classical jazz pieces. As part of the program, Claude Bolling, a French jazz enthusiast, will perform his suite for cello, piano, drums and bass.

As a tribute to the late Quinnipiac professor James Marshall, the James Marshall Music Series will become part of the musical celebration of Black History Month.

As part of the series, the Quinnipiac Gospel Choir, Unity Boys Choir and the Wayfaring Ministries Choir will sing on Feb. 23 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Alumni Hall.

Other musical events taking place in February will be Apollo Night on Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. in Alumni Hall, co-sponsored by the Black Student Union and the Student Programming Board and hosted by comedienne Meshelle Foreman Shields, and a show by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, playing March 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Buckman Theatre. There is a limit of two tickets per person for the Preservation Hall Jazz Band event.

The committee has also booked Juan Williams, the main speaker of Black History Month, on Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. in Alumni Hall. He is the author of the biography “Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary,” and “Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years, 1954-1965.” Williams is also a national correspondent for the Washington Post.

The committee is also having a trivia-based game called “ThinkFast” come to campus. This event will take place in the Caf