Each February, Whitworth University  commemorates its founding, on Feb. 20, 1890, with a month-long celebration. Heritage Month 2013 will kick off Feb. 7, with the Founder’s Day Convocation, when students, faculty and staff gather to bring Whitworth’s history to life and dedicate themselves to building upon that legacy in the coming year. Heritage Month 2013 will focus on Whitworth and the African-American cultural experience during Black History Month, according to a press release.

Other focal points of Heritage Month 2013 will include the fifth annual Leonard A. Oakland Film Festival, a “Gospel Explosion” performance and lectures by former CBS news correspondent Lawrence Pintak; creator of Green Dot Violence-Prevention Strategy Dorothy Edwards; Martin Luther King Jr. scholar Lewis Baldwin; and University of Colorado professor of history Paul Harvey.

Admission is free unless otherwise noted. Following is more information on related upcoming events.:

Thursday, Feb. 7
Founder’s Day Convocation
11 a.m., Cowles Auditorium

Great Decisions Lecture: Lawrence Pintak, “The U.S. and the Muslim World”
7:30 p.m., Robinson Teaching Theatre, Weyerhaeuser Hall

Friday, Feb. 8
Gospel Explosion
7 p.m., Cowles Auditorium

Wednesday, Feb. 13
Green Dot Lecture: Dorothy Edwards, “Ending Violence One Green Dot at a Time"
7 p.m., Robinson Teaching Theatre

Thursday, Feb. 14
Simpson-Duvall Lecture: Lewis Baldwin, “The Spirituality of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Civil Rights Movement: An Enduring Legacy”
7 p.m., Robinson Teaching Theatre

Thursday, Feb. 15
English Endowed Reading: Matthew Burns
7 p.m., Hixson Union Building Multipurpose Room

Tuesday, Feb. 19
Art Exhibit: A Pathetic Adventure
New works by Zack Bent Reception: 5-6 p.m.; Lecture by the artist at 6 p.m., Bryan Oliver Gallery, Lied Center for the Visual Arts

Wednesday, Feb. 20
Celebrate Whitworth’s Birthday
Noon, Lied Square, Hixson Union Building

Thursday, Feb. 21
Leonard A. Oakland Film Festival
7 p.m., Robinson Teaching Theatre

Film No. 1: Footnote
Director: Joseph Cedar, 2011

Friday, Feb. 22
Leonard A. Oakland Film Festival (continued)
7 p.m., Robinson Teaching Theatre

Film No. 2: Get Low
Director: Aaron Schneider, rated PG-13, 2009

Late Night Movie No. 1: Jackie Brown

10 p.m., Robinson Teaching Theatre
Director: Quentin Tarantino, rated R, 1997

Saturday, Feb. 23
Leonard A. Oakland Film Festival (continued)
7 p.m., Robinson Teaching Theatre

Film No. 3: 4 Little Girls
Director: Spike Lee, rated NR, 2001

Late Night Movie No. 2: Bill Cosby: Himself

10 p.m., Robinson Teaching Theatre

Thursday, Feb. 28
Heritage Month Lecture: Paul Harvey, “Jesus in Red, White and Black”
7 p.m., Robinson Teaching Theatre

Sunday, March 3
George F. Whitworth Honors Banquet
5 p.m., Lincoln Center, 1316 N. Lincoln St., Spokane

Please join us for the annual George F. Whitworth Honors Banquet and program, featuring student musicians and others, as we celebrate Whitworth's enduring mission and those who have nurtured and continue to sustain it. Cost: $35 per person (President's Club members and lifetime donors will be guests of the university). RSVP to Nancy Kessler at (509) 777-3449 or nkessler@whitworth.edu.