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Garden City, N.Y. - The Adelphi University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics hosted its 11th annual Black History Month Celebration on Thursday, Feb. 28, to honor the achievements of African-American student-athletes and alumni. Over 165 people gathered in the Campbell Lounge in the Center for Recreation and Sport to celebrate and listen to guest speakers Julius T. Freeman and Herb Boyd.

Voices of Virtue, a community based choir and non-profit organization in Hempstead, New York opened the event by singing the Black National Anthem. The choir also sang three selections throughout the evening and donations were collected to support the organization throughtout the evening.

Georgette Brown, Assistant Athletic Director for Event Managment, provided the welcome nd extended thanks to those in attendance such as Eric Fishon (Vice President for U.S. Field Marketing of TD Bank), Bill Proto (Vice President for Administration and Student Services), Esther Goodcuff (Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs), Clyde Doughty (Athletic Director at New York Institute of Technology), Renee Bostic (Athletic Director at Medgar Evers College), China Jude (Athletic Director at Queens College of N.Y.), and alumni Curtis Minnis, Grady Faulkner, William Dabney, Yvonne Graham and 2013 Hall of Fame inductee Lisa Tunstall.

Next to speak was Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics Robert Hartwell, who gave a brief history of the origin of Adelphi's Black History Month celebration. Hartwell then introduced Tuskegee Airman Julius T. Freeman.

Freeman spoke about his first hand experience in Central Alabama as a Tuskegee Airman during World War II. His message to the student-athletes was to remain in school since this was not a favorable option when he was young. Freeman served as a medical technician at Lockbourne Air Base in Columbus, Ohio, and was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his WWII service. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military aviators in the U.S. armed forces. During WWII, they were trained as a segregated unit in Central Alabama at Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University. They were prohibited from fighting alongside white counterparts and faced severe prejudice, yet became one of the most respected fighter troops in WWII.

Next, Valerie Watkins presented the Cecil K. Watkins Memorial Award to seniors Monica Martinez, a member of the track and field team and men's basketball player RJ Samuels. This honor is bestowed upon a male and female student-athlete for excellence not only on the playing field and in the classroom, but also in the community.

Following the award presentation keynote speaker Herb Boyd was given the floor. A reporter for the Amsterdam News, Boyd used his platform to discuss the issues of racism that still plague African-Americans today. He spoke on the recent front page article in the Amsterdam News regarding Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind in blackface at a Purim party. His message was for people of all color not to accept offensive behavior towards them, speak up for their rights and use the power of words wisely. Boyd, who has published 22 books and countless articles, is an award winning author and journalist.