AMHERST — Noted scholar Eddie Glaude Jr. of Princeton University will deliver the keynote talk at a dinner celebrating the centennial of the birth of writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin at the University of Massachusetts on Thursday, Nov. 14.
The event in the Campus Center Auditorium will begin at 5:30 p.m. with dinner featuring music by UMass Amherst alumnus Mtali Banda. The talk and question-and-answer session will feature Glaude beginning at 6 p.m. The dinner and talk are free and open to the public. Those interested in attending are strongly encouraged to register online at umass.edu/diversity/baldwin-centennial.
The event is presented by the Office of Equity and Inclusion at UMass Amherst and is part of the university’s Community, Democracy and Dialogue initiative.
AMHERST — The Center for Women & Community at the University of Massachusett invites all to join its annual Chilly Challenge fundraiser on Saturday, Nov. 16 at Puffer’s Pond in North Amherst beginning at 10:30 a.m.
The challenge is an annual event that began in 2021 as a way to bring community together during COVID isolation. Participants raise awareness and funds in support of free sexual assault support, advocacy and prevention services in Hampshire County. All funds raised support CWC’s free services for people impacted by violence.
All are invited to get chilly in Puffer’s Pond — from just dipping in a toe to taking a full-body plunge and anything in between — and then enjoy warm chili on the beach afterward. The rain date for the event will be Nov. 17.
Free and confidential services are available to anyone impacted by violence 24/7 by calling 413-545-0800.
Amherst Cinema will hold a sing-along screening of the musical movie “The Greatest Showman” on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 12:45 p.m.
The movie, which stars Hugh Jackman in the title role, is a (rather fictionalized) biopic of circus showman P. T. Barnum. Some of its hits include “Rewrite the Stars,” “This Is Me,” and “The Greatest Show.”
Tickets are $5 via amherstcinema.org.
Singer-songwriter and instrumentalist John Splithoff will bring his fall tour to The Drake in Amherst on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m.
Splithoff’s most famous song is the breezy light-pop “Sing to You,” which currently has 14 million streams on YouTube. He’s also played at Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo.
His shows on tour will feature songs from his first album, “All In”; he also has a sophomore album on the way, which is set to be released in the spring. The first song from that album, “Way Back,” is already available to stream on YouTube.
General admission tickets are $27.50 at johnsplithoff.com/tour.
