Latest news with #BlackHistoryMonthCelebration
CBS News
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Bay Area musician connects to his roots with a West African instrument
Amid Black History Month celebrations in February, some local musicians say they are finding more opportunities at various venues to share their work and stories. One Bay Area man who plays an unusual West African instrument recently discovered more about his roots and family history while pursuing his passion. Growing up in a rural part of Tennessee, Keenan Webster would listen to gospel music at church, and hear the influence of West African sounds of music. "I felt like I knew these vibes from some other lifetime," said Webster. He didn't have the opportunities to play music until well into his twenties. After decades of pursuing his passion, he can now play the kora, which is also known as the West African Mandinka harp. A recent DNA family history test showed Webster's ancestors also hailed from the Mandinka and the Mande-speaking people of West Africa. "Spiritually it made sense why I gravitated to these instruments, the sound of it," said Webster. Webster is playing at public libraries in Marin County as part of its Black History Month Celebration. Grammy-nominated musician Andre Thierry has performed as part of its program, the library says, to uplift underrepresented voices. "We want people to see the source of a lot of the music we hear today comes from," said Webster. The sounds today connect him with the past. "We was able to use the songs to help us through the pains they were going through, slavery and hardship, to have hope," said Webster. The 53-year-old also incorporates the banjo into his musical repertoire, blending the influence of blues and jazz he heard and played in his early years. Webster still can't believe he can play music for a living. "I think it helps people to have more respect for other people's cultures as well," said Webster. It's what he has always wanted to do, to share and connect with others, through the power of words and music. Webster performed as part of on February 20th.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Goodwine honored during Kentucky courts' Black History Month Celebration
Pamela Goodwine speaks to supporters at her election night watch party in Lexington, Nov. 5, 2024. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Arden Barnes) The first Black Kentuckians to serve on the state's highest court were recognized Tuesday during the judicial branch's annual Black History Month Celebration Justice Pamela Goodwine, elected to the Supreme Court last year, was honored with the Justice William A. McAnulty Jr. Award. McAnulty, of Louisville, was the first Black person to serve on the Kentucky Supreme Court after he was appointed by Gov. Erie Fletcher in 2006. He died in 2007 after being elected to a full term. The award recognizes individuals who have made a significant impact on Kentucky courts 'through years of service, leadership, job performance or efforts toward improving racial and ethnic diversity and equity in the Judicial Branch,' a press release said. Accepting the honor from Chief Justice Debra Hembree Lambert, Goodwine said she was 'almost speechless.' She had been a court reporter for McAnulty in 1986 while he was assigned a case in Fayette County. 'I was honored to work with him then, and I shared my dream with him of one day serving on the Kentucky Supreme Court,' Goodwine said. 'This is a 45-year dream in the making, and I am honored not only to have accomplished that goal, but one of many firsts, and I am proud to be a trailblazer.' Goodwine was the first Black woman to become a district and circuit judge in Lexington and a judge on the Kentucky Court of Appeals. Kate McAnulty, daughter of the late justice, said in a video played during the ceremony that her father 'was especially proud to champion women serving in the judiciary' and would have been impressed with Goodwine's accomplishments and service. 'Both my dad and Justice Goodwine treated people with dignity and presided over cases with fairness. Just as the award suggests, both had a sustained commitment to all people of the commonwealth.' Lambert said the Supreme Court justices are 'excited to work with' Goodwine, whom she called 'a hard working, thoughtful and caring member of our court community.' 'Justice Goodwine, we are so grateful for your leadership and your positive attitude, your generosity and your dedicated service to our court community, and you are most deserving of this recognition, and I'm proud to present it here to you today,' Lambert said. Most Supreme Court justices were present during the celebration and also echoed Lambert's comments about Goodwine.'It's wonderful that the Administrative Office of the Courts also recognizes Black History Month in this fashion,' said Justice Michelle Keller. 'It's one we'll never forget because our new colleague and good friend, Justice Pam Goodwine, has been recognized for a lifetime of work that is not over yet. You're just getting started.' Thursday's celebration marked the fifth time the Administrative Office of the Courts held a Black History Month Celebration. Shericka Smith, a mental health coordinator for Fayette County Public Schools, gave a keynote address on the legacy and history of Black professionals in the workplace. Most of the Supreme Court justices had recognized Black History Month last week by attending the Black History Month Celebration hosted by the Kentucky Black Legislative Caucus in the Capitol.
USA Today
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Courage to Dream concert coming to Mechanics Hall to celebrate Black History Month
Courage to Dream concert coming to Mechanics Hall to celebrate Black History Month On the night of Feb. 8, Mechanics Hall will fill with song, story and celebratory spirit at the Courage to Dream concert, the centerpiece of Lancaster-based Kingdom Voice & Music's third annual Black History Month Celebration. Celebrated Boston spoken-word artist Amanda Shea will step up to the mic. The a cappella group 5th Blend and children's gospel choir King's Kids will harmonize. Kingdom Voice & Music founder and singer-songwriter Kirosha Sidelca will not only direct two choral performances but will also take a turn in the spotlight herself. Most importantly, actors Jeffrey Dorsey and Leeanis Urbina will recount three stories: that of Peter Rich, who was born enslaved in 1700s Lancaster and went on to become one of Worcester's first Black property owners, and those of two immigrants from Haiti and Liberia who have made it their mission to support their Worcester neighbors since arriving in the city. 'The program is powerful, it's riveting and it's really motivating, so it's a pleasure and an honor to get into this bigger production here,' said Unity Radio 97.9 FM founder and Courage to Dream associate producer Ernest Floyd. 'I hope people appreciate it, because a lot of work goes into it, and right now, more than ever, you need something like this to get people's minds on this.' Musical performers will include King's Kids, Shea, 5th Blend, Ropi Jr., the Jasper dance team, Sidelca and pre-K-12 Seventh-day Adventist school South Lancaster Academy's touring choir. South Lancaster Academy will also be represented during the concert's theatrical portions, as young actor Leeanis Urbina is a student there. Doors will open at 4:15 p.m. for a preshow visual arts exhibition and a market featuring Black artists and food vendors alongside local community organizations, which will remain open until 9 p.m. Performances begin at 6 p.m. 'We've just got to share this with everyone' 'Courage to Dream' will be Kingdom Voice & Glory's first Black History Month Celebration to take place outside of Sidelca's home church, College Church in Lancaster. Sidelca said when Worcester City Councilor Khrystian King, whose daughter is a member of the King's Kids choir, introduced her to Mechanics Hall's staff, they hit it off immediately. 'We wanted to make (the concert) more accessible and public, without people thinking it's a church activity,' Sidelca said. 'So many people in the community saw the show and told us we had to take it on the road. We've just got to share this with everyone.' Sidelca put together her first Black History Month Celebration in 2023 at College Church as a way to continue the town's tradition of Black History Month concerts. For years, students at the now-closed Atlantic Union College, a Seventh-day Adventist college with a majority-Black student body, would gather every February to sing and honor those who survived American racism in all its various forms. Sidelca, who had just left a 9-to-5 office job, was already planning to work on musical endeavors full time, and a new Black History Month concert at her home church seemed like a perfect project. 'I was just going to do a little concert with my kids' choir and put a group together, maybe ask a few other people to join in, and people started getting really excited,' Sidelca said. 'It evolved and evolved until it became this big production, and everyone started saying, 'This needs to be annual.'' 'That spoke mountains' The 2023 concert, titled 'Courage to Sing,' mixed performances from College Church's choirs with narration that tied together the stories of Black historical figures like Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Sidelca recalled one particular interaction with an audience member afterward that drove home the significance of that night's performance. 'After that show, one of the gentlemen who was there said he had been to so many Black history events and shows and that this was the best one he'd ever seen. He was super emotional about it. That spoke mountains,' Sidelca said. 'I grew up around immigrants. For a Black American who grew up here to say this was the best show he'd ever been to as a grown man, I was floored.' For the 2024 Black History Month Celebration, titled 'Courage to Persevere,' Kingdom Voice & Music turned the focus to those making history at the moment, honoring several Black female educators in the Worcester area during a key moment in the concert. A focus on Black immigrant history in the making Shortly after that show, while planning ahead, Sidelca and her collaborators decided the 2025 Black History Month concert would include a segment honoring immigrants and their contributions to Central Massachusetts in pursuit of the fabled American dream, prompting this year's 'Courage to Dream' title. 'This year, we decided to stick with the here and now. Who is making history now? We decided to focus on immigration a year ago, not knowing how big a deal it was going to be at this time this year,' Sidelca said. The concert comes amid a right-wing political backlash against immigrants, particularly those who entered the United States without documentation. On Jan. 20, hours after Republican President Donald Trump was inaugurated, his administration overturned previous government policies that prevented the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agencies from conducting raids in public schools and churches. In response, on Jan. 21, Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Rachel Monárrez sent a letter to parents of enrolled students, stating that school staff and administrators had 'received detailed guidance on protecting students' rights' and that in the event of raids at Worcester schools, the district would not 'coordinate' with ICE. 'You see their faces lit up' Sidelca, Floyd and associate producer Samarie Mojica all said one particularly important goal of the annual Black History Month Celebration was to provide children with an opportunity to perform onstage and learn from previous generations. Floyd said for him, the events reminded him of the National Center for Afro-American Artists' annual Black Nativity performances, which he participated in while growing up in Roxbury. 'This show brings back memories of my early childhood and performing in those shows, talking about culture, learning your history, learning who has come before you,' Floyd said. 'It continues that experience.' Mojica said she hoped 'to make a difference, to leave our footprint, and to pave the way and open doors for others to also be a part of this, so it can someday be taken over by the kids and young people participating.' 'For (the King's Kids choir) to be able to grow up and say they were part of the Black History Month Celebration every year at Mechanics Hall, you see their faces lit up with excitement to be singing on that stage,' Sidelca said. 'It warms my heart to be able to be that person for them, because I remember the people who were that for me when I was growing up.' The Courage to Dream Black History Month Celebration will take place 6 p.m. Feb. 8 at Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St., Worcester. Doors will open at 4:15 p.m. for a preshow arts exhibition and market, which will run until 9 p.m. General admission tickets cost $35 per adult and $20 per child. VIP tickets, which include front-row table seating, light refreshments and a themed gift, cost $65 each or $360 for a six-person table. All tickets are available through
