Tag Archive for: #blackhistorymonth
The Local Skinny! Vance Co. Arts Council Celebrates Black History Month
The Vance County Arts Council, in conjunction with McGregor Hall, invites the community to come out for an evening of musical entertainment to learn about the history of gospel music.
The show is free to the public and begins at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at McGregor Hall, and Vance County Arts Council Executive Director Alice Sallins said folks are in for a real treat.
“We’re so excited,” Sallins said. “We want people to come and behold this beautiful production.”
Sallins told WIZS’s Bill Harris that she couldn’t divulge too much about the show because it will be presented at other venues in addition to McGregor Hall.
Thanks to some grant funding, she said the Arts Council was able to bring in some top-quality perfomers and artists who will take the history of gospel music from its roots in call and response, field hollers and spirituals all the way up to its blending of blues and jazz that creates the familiar sound we know today.
“Thomas Dorsey combined those genres of music with spirituals he heard in church,” Sallins said on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny! “He came up with this moving music that cause people to clap their hands and move their bodies,” she said.
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The Local Skinny! Black History Profiles Garrett Morgan
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March on Washington Remembered
Martin Luther King Jr.’s now-iconic “I Have a Dream” speech was delivered at The March on Washington.
As we celebrate Black History Month, please enjoy by clicking play below the first in a weekly series here on WIZS as produced by our Steve Lewis of the WIZS Weekday Wake Up!
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TownTalk: Gang Free’s Black History Month Chief of the Year
If you find yourself in Townsville and ask where to find Daren Small, you may get some puzzled looks or a shoulder shrug. But if you ask where “Squirrel” is, chances are you’ll be directed right to the fire station.
Daren “Squirrel” Small has been a fixture at the little fire department for more than 20 years. And although he has stepped down as chief, he said he’ll stay on – at least for a few more years.
As he put it on Tuesday’s Town Talk, it’s time to sit back and watch the scenery instead of being behind the wheel.
Small is the recipient of the “fire chief of the year” award given by Gang Free, Inc. as part of its celebration of Black History Month. Gang Free’s founder, Melissa Elliott, and community health worker Dasha Stutson spoke with John C. Rose about how and why Small and 3rd grade teacher Ebony Watkins were selected to receive the awards.
“I think that people need to have their flowers while they’re living,” Elliott said, instead of being remembered for their accomplishments after they’ve passed on. The recognition allows them to see how much their community appreciates them – and they get to participate in the celebration, too, she added.
Small said he and his wife were supposed to eat lunch at Ribeye’s in Henderson on Monday, but little did he know what awaited him.
“I’m humbled and blessed and really, really touched,” Small told Rose on Tuesday. Growing up in tiny Townsville, Small said he was always taught to give back. And that’s what he’s done through his career as a firefighter. He said he joined the county fire department in 1987, but his heart has always been with those who are volunteer firefighters.
Those volunteers have the heart to help – “it takes a special individual to do this job,” he said.
Stutson said she is especially appreciative of Small and what he means to his community.
“He’s been like a father figure to me,” she said. “He’s the sweetest man you’ll ever come across. There’s never a ‘no’ from him – it’s always an ‘I’ll try.’”
Stutson and Elliott expressed thanks for the numerous community partners and businesses that contributed gift cards that were presented to Small and to Watkins, especially Food Lion, Advance Auto, Auto Zone, NAPA and Tractor Supply.
Watkins teaches 3rd grade at E.M. Rollins Elementary School and Elliott said she creates TikTok messages each morning to help motivate and encourage her students.
Elliott said she was captivated by the fourth-year teacher’s energy and enthusiasm. So captivated, that she applied for a grant to supply the class with tablets.
“She’s doing a marvelous and phenomenal job,” Elliott said of Watkins. “We told her we were coming to bring her students tablets,” she added, and when they arrived, they also awarded her with the Gang Free “teacher of the year” award.
Her father works with the sheriff’s office and her mother is the bookkeeper at the middle school, and they both were present as the award was given. An added celebratory note is that the award was given on Watkins’s birthday, and Elliott said the young educator was overwhelmed with gratitude.
Elliott said she hopes the award serves as a thank-you to individuals for the work they’re doing in the community, but also “to let them know they are celebrated, appreciated and that the community loves them.”
Warren Library Announces Events During Black History Month
The Warren County Library is promoting several upcoming events as part of its Black History Month celebration.
On Thursday, Feb. 24, the library has scheduled a virtual meeting featuring celebrated historian Dr. Carlton Wilson. Wilson is dean of the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities at N.C. Central University. The event begins at 3 p.m. on Zoom. Join the live event at www.tinyurl.com/WCMLDrWilson22 or call 301.715.8592 to join by phone. The meeting ID is 834 7607 7501 and the password is 169851. The library also will air the program in its community room.
The N.C. Humanities Council will have a virtual book discussion fand interactive panel conversation on Monday, Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss Thomas Healy’s book Soul City: Race, Equality, and the Lost Dream of an American Utopia. Participants do not need to read the book to attend. The discussion panel will explore the events surrounding Warren County’s own Soul City. This event features author Thomas Healy and Dr. Kofi Boone in a conversation moderated by North Carolina African American Heritage Commission Associate Director Adrienne Nierde. Registration is required. You can register for this virtual program at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sunAenwJTpG51JDWIOJ0Vw.
Visit the Black History Month Information Station at the library during the month of February to learn more. The informational display will provide an overview of the history behind Black History Month as well as many relevant books to choose from. Pick up a calendar at the library or visit the library’s website (www.wcmlibrary.org) for more information regarding programs and events. All library programs are free to access. Call the library for more information at 252.257.4990. The library is located at 119 S. Front Street, Warrenton NC 27589.
Warren County Memorial Library Celebrates Black History Month
— press release
Warren County Memorial Library (WCML) will host a variety of programs, feature informative displays, and connect patrons with illuminating information as they celebrate Black History Month. The national theme for Black History Month 2021 is The Black Family: Representation, Identity, Diversity.
WCML is excited to have the opportunity to virtually host historian Howard Burchette for “The Story of North Carolina’s Buffalo Soldiers” on Friday, February 26th, at 1:00pm. The Buffalo Soldiers were six regiments of African-American soldiers authorized in 1866 to help keep the peace in the Great Plains as the railroad was expanding across the US. This program will highlight the men from North Carolina who served in these regiments. Mr. Burchette is a retired IBM data processing professional and historian with local ties. He has over 23 years of broadcast experience on public radio, hosting many shows, including his work as the current host of The Funk Show on WNCU 90.7 FM. This live event will take place via Zoom. It can be easily accessed by going to www.tinyurl.com/WCMLBurchette2021 or calling 646-558-8656. The meeting ID is 865 4352 5393 and the password is 479626.
The library is also hosting the “Seeking Justice Artistic Display” provided by the Warren County NAACP and its SPARK committee during the entire month of February. This display chronicles the history of the lynching of two men that happened in Warrenton in January of 1921. Interested parties can view the display at any time during the library’s regular business hours – Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 3:00pm.
In addition to the programs listed above, the library’s February event calendar is full of links, such as NC Learn’s “African-American Music Trail” and TheHistoryMakers’ “African-Americans in Science”, as well as additional events. There’s something for everyone. Pick one up at the library or visit the library’s website (www.wcmlibrary.org) for more information. All library programs are free to the public. Call WCML for more information at 252-257-4990. The library is located at 119 S. Front Street, Warrenton NC 27589.
TownTalk 2-1-21: Vance Granville’s Month-long Celebration of Black History
Vance-Granville Community College has a bevy of activities scheduled for its celebration of Black History in the month of February. A team from VGCC has created the monthlong event – from book discussions to highlighting Black trailblazers – in a webpage VGCC calls “Against All Odds – Honoring Black Trailblazers.” Visit www.vgcc.edu/blackhistorymonth/ to learn more about how to participate in these events.
Dawn Michelle Tucker, dean of Continuing Education & College + Career Readiness at VGCC, was on Town Talk Monday to kick off the monthlong celebration. Tucker spoke to host John C. Rose about famous Blacks in history, as well as the struggles that still challenge African Americans today.
Tucker, along with co-chair Angela Thomas, dean of Health Sciences and other VGCC faculty and staff, put together a “celebration of all the accomplishments and the different opportunities that we’ve been able to take full advantage of,” she said. Webinars, lunch and learn sessions, in addition to the two book discussions are all activities that the community can take part in.
The first of two book discussions will take place on Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. The book that will be discussed is titled “Who Owns the Icehouse? Eight Life Lessons from an Unlikely Entrepreneur,” based on a true story written by the nephew of a man who owned an icehouse in 1950’s in the Mississippi Delta.
In conjunction with this event, VGCC President Dr. Rachel Demarais will sign the Presidents for Entrepreneurship Pledge to kick off the book discussion. This pledge has been, or will be, signed by community college presidents across the nation to show support for expanding entrepreneurship in the communities they serve and creating a positive culture on their campuses to foster entrepreneurism. VGCC has training and counseling services available for new business owners through its Small Business Center, Tucker said.
Promoting entrepreneurship, especially among African Americans, Tucker said, is one component of that pledge. “It’s our commitment to making sure that our community has the support system in place for new entrepreneurship opportunities,” she said. VGCC strives to provide a consistent message of support for those individuals who want to venture out on their own to create a new business. “The consistency will have an impact on what we’re doing,” she added. All this is to provide for the community the necessary resources to advance entrepreneurship.
Click Play to Listen to TownTalk with VGCC’s Dawn Michelle Tucker…
“We have to continue to push out the idea of entrepreneurship. If as a college we are pushing the idea and being consistent about our messaging about entrepreneurship, then we are hopeful that the consistency of what we’re doing will have an impact on our communities, Tucker said. College officials want to continue to pour in the idea of entrepreneurship, and the book “Who Owns the Icehouse?” provides insight into the mindset of not just being an entrepreneur, she said, but being a successful entrepreneur.
Challenges surrounding racism and inequality are barriers that Black people still face today, Tucker said. “It’s the challenge of being seen as a person of color first and not being seen by your character, your integrity and what you actually bring to the table outside of the color of your skin,” she said, adding that Blacks often are “not able to fully reach (their) potential because we are held up by skin color.” How Blacks move forward, in the face of these challenges, is part of the ongoing conversations that must take place, Tucker said.
The community college continues to look for new programs and opportunities, Tucker said, adding that newly minted entrepreneurs most likely will need a skilled work force to be successful in their endeavors. Vance-Granville Community College has long provided programs that allows workers to re-tool or learn new skills to make them more marketable employees.
As dean of Continuing Education and Career Readiness, Tucker takes seriously her responsibility to share her experience with young people entering the workforce. “That’s how I get to live in the younger person’s world, by sharing information and building relationships with them so that they have the benefit of older, more experienced people to share ideas and to gain momentum for moving forward,” she said.
Sheriff Curtis Brame to Serve as Keynote Speaker at Black History Program
Ashley Grove Baptist Church will hold a Black History program on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at 11 a.m. Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame will be the keynote speaker.
Pastor Perry Sharpe and the congregation invite the public to attend.
The church is located at 2425 Nutbush Road in Henderson.
Perry Library to Feature ‘Dramatic & Moving’ Black History Month Presentation
Amanda Yetter, Youth Services Librarian at Perry Memorial Library in downtown Henderson, was on Tuesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss the library’s upcoming Black History Month presentation on Monday, February 18, 2019, at 4:30 p.m.
The presentation, titled “Struggle for Freedom: The Life of Dr. King” will be held in the library’s Farm Bureau Room and will be performed by the Asheville-based Bright Star Touring Theatre.
According to Yetter, “Struggle for Freedom” is a 45-minute production that seeks to honor the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The life and work of Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. provide the backdrop to scenes that recreate the Montgomery bus boycott, the march on Washington, the Woolworth sit-ins and much more.
With excerpts from famous speeches, Civil Rights era songs and a variety of characters, this production has been hailed as one of ‘the finest touring shows available for young audiences.”
The moving performance will demonstrate that the story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of both triumph and tragedy, said Yetter. “In this dramatic show, audiences come to see that the rights won during the American Civil Rights Movement came with a heavy price.”
The show is free of charge and is recommended for ages 8 through adult.
For more information, or to view the variety of programs and services offered by Perry Memorial Library, please click here.
To hear the Town Talk interview with Amanda Yetter in its entirety, please click here.