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USA Today
09-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Courage to Dream' celebrates immigrants' stories in Black History Month event
'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."
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
