Black United Students will host its keynote speaker for Black History Month tonight.

Bryant K. Smith, author of Black Not Blind and CEO of Smith Consulting and Networking, will be speaking about the use of the “n-word” in today’s society.

Smith will be speaking in place of Afeni Shakur, rapper Tupac’s mother, who was originally scheduled to speak. Adrian Neal, BUS public relations chair, said Shakur had an emergency engagement for a book signing and was therefore unable to appear.

Smith will be speaking at 7:30 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Ballroom. The event is free.

Contact minority affairs reporter Christina Stavale at [email protected].