'Courage to Dream' celebrates immigrants' stories in Black History Month event

USA Today

09-02-2025

'Courage to Dream' celebrates immigrants' stories in Black History Month event
Mechanics Hall resonated Saturday night with music, dance and stories spanning centuries, but ringing true and clear in the present.
With the theme of "Celebrating Immigrant Stories," the third annual "Courage to Dream: A Black History Month Celebration", held Saturday highlighted experiences of those who had come from distant lands — including some who broke free from slavery — to build a new life in a new and uncertain country, and who changed history forever.
Emcee Suzanne Graham Anderson, known as the motivational speaker Positively Suzanne, urged the audience to see diversity as a strength and the great legacy of immigration. "We don't want everyone to look like us and act like us. I think it would be pretty boring if everyone looked like me, talked like me and acted like me. But, how amazing it is when we all come together, to learn different things, from food, from clothing to experiences."
To be seen, to be heard
The concert also highlighted the 10 Million Names Project, an effort to recover the lost identities of many enslaved people in the U.S., many of whom were interred in unmarked graves or whose names and remains were lost.
The show featured performances including the singing of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," also known as the Black National Anthem, sung by Kingdom Voices of Glory; Kings' Kids' Choir and the youth dance ensemble, "Ages of Praise."
An art exhibit highlighted the creations of artistic talent from youths to adults, as well as photos of historical Black leaders, such as scientist George Washington Carver and President Barack Obama, travelers' artifacts and photos from Africa, the Middle East and more. The event also honored several community members for their achievements in making the community stronger including business owners, mental health advocates and public servants.
Exhibit co-organizer Chenoa Jimenez-Vilfranc, whose photos and items from Egypt were part of the exhibit, said the exhibit also highlights the role Worcester has played in history including the abolition of slavery and the suffragist movement. For Vilfranc, the exhibit and the concert spoke of a deep spiritual connection, which has given strength to so many in a struggle for equality and something greater.
Vilfranc was excited to have an exhibit highlighting numerous artists and said, "Everybody wants to be seen. Everybody wants to be heard."
'It's important, especially for the youth'
More than 300 audience members attended the show, a production with the talents of more than 100 performers and staff, said creator and director, Kirosha Sidelca.
Among those who attended the concert was Lorna Ellis, a 43-year Worcester resident, owner of 4UBridal and Prom, who has also featured her original designs in regional fashion shows. "My friend, Ketelie, invited me," said Ellis, referring to Ketelie Altena, a native of Haiti and a community advocate, who serves as a therapist at the Multicultural Wellness Center.
Ellis, who worked for 21 years at Hanover Insurance, said of the concert, "It's important, especially for the youth, and the past and present." `
Reflecting on the evening's event, Sidelca said, "I think the whole event went incredible. We had a great turnout. There was 400-plus people in the room, so that was really amazing."
'A huge, huge leap for us'
Sidelca has created, co-produced and directed the Black History Month concert series since 2023, drawing on partnerships with individuals and organizations throughout the region. Sidelca is also owner and founder of Kingdom Voice & Music, fostering many of the talents included in the performances.
Sidelca said the event was well-received, showcasing many artists and vendors that included local businesses and community organizations.
"The music was absolutely incredible: the performances, the speeches. It was really quite inspirational for many, many people to hear such beautiful music, all the way from children to adults," she said.
Sidelca noted the leap from "Courage to Dream" presentations' beginnings with the inaugural show in February 2023 at the College Church Chapel in Lancaster to the much larger space at Mechanics Hall in the heart of Worcester.
"That was a huge, huge leap for us, which we were obviously excited about, but it brought a lot more challenges." Sidelca said, "With the bigger space and higher expectations, it just brought on a lot of things that were challenging, but they really helped me to grow as a producer, to gain a lot of knowledge about how these things worked, to make it a better experience and better show."
The planning for the show and the theme of immigration began more than a year ago before President Trump's re-election last November. Since then, Trump's administration's actions including pledges to deport undocumented immigrants have added to the uncertainty and confusion that has affected many communities including Worcester.
"We didn't have any ideas of making this anything political," Sildelca observed. "That said, once we started to see how the political climate was changing, we knew this was something God-ordained."
Sidelca observed, "I think it was a positive thing because the subject was on everyone's mind and so it was a great opportunity to get those stories told and bring some of the humanity and love to the experiences of immigrants. I could not have orchestrated that myself. It was completely, divinely orchestrated."