The Center for Black Studies will host a day filled with food, music and fun at the fifth annual Black Alumni Picnic.

The event will be held at 11 a.m. Sept. 8 at the Dan Ryan Woods forest preserve in Chicago, said Michael C. Pattrick, president for the Black Alumni Council. The event will run until sunset.

The picnic was designed for alumni, but NIU students and the public are also welcome to attend. Pattrick recommends that everyone bring their own grill, food and drinks.

“This is an opportunity for students to become reacquainted with each other,” said program coordinator Van Amos. “It’s a time for networking, socializing and organizing.”

The Center for Black Studies is a collegiate program that provides undergraduate courses concerning African and African-American life and history.

The center’s faculty has published numerous documents and manuscripts and even has produced a book, “Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Colonial and Neo-Colonial Africa.”

Many events are held by the center, such as the Black Issues Forum, African Awareness Week, the African-American Leadership Conference and the Center for Black Studies Recognition Ceremonies.

The center will also be hosting a Welcome Night on Sept. 13 and folk artist Denise Allen on Sept. 19.

For more information about the picnic and other happenings hosted by the center, call Michael C. Pattrick at (312) 782-9095.