Greetings! We sadly report the still shocking world news that “The Queen of Pop,” Whitney Houston, is dead at age 48 of causes unclear at press time. Houston is the daughter of famed vocalist Cissy Houston, cousin of pop legend Dionne Warwick and goddaughter of “The Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin. Services are this weekend in her hometown of Newark, N.J. Houston, who sold some 200 million records worldwide, has been described as “The Voice of a Century.”

Theater

  • The National Black Touring Circuit presents the Black History Month Play Festival, Feb. 3-26, honoring African-American political heroes and sheroes A. Philip Randolph, Zora Neal Hurston, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Rep. Barbara Jordan. Performances Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. For locations and more information, call (212) 279-4200.
  • “Black Angels Over Tuskegee,” the story of the pioneering first African-American fighter pilots, now playing at the Actors Temple Theatre, 339 W. 47th St. between Eighth and Ninth avenues. For tickets, call (212) 239-6200 or visit www.telecharge.com.
  • “The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess,” now on Broadway with four-time Tony winner Audra McDonald, Drama Desk nominee Norm Lewis and two-time Tony nominee David Alan Grier. At the Richard Rogers Theater, 226 W. 46th St. For tickets and information, call (877) 250-2929 or visit www.porgyandbessonbroadway.com.
  • Alicia Keys presents “Stick Fly” (“When it comes to family…you’re stuck”), a new play by Lydia R. Diamond, directed by Kenny Leon. Now playing at the Cort Theatre on Broadway, 138 W. 48th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues. For tickets, call (212) 239-6200 or visit www.telecharge.com.
  • Whoopi Goldberg’s “Sister Act,” the stage musical based on the 1992 movie of the same name, features funky, soulful songs by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater and the dynamic debut of Patina Miller. At the Broadway Theatre, 1681 Broadway. For more information, visit www.sisteractbroadway.com.
  • “Platanos y Collard Greens,” David Lamb’s hilarious hit romantic, comedic off-Broadway play, is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud, inspire you and make you think. At the Baruch Performing Arts Center, 55 Lexington Ave. at 25th Street. For show schedules, call (212) 352-3101 or visit www.platanosand collardgreens.com. For group sales, call (646) 522-4348.

Music

  • “The Queen of Soul,” multiple Grammy Award-winner Aretha Franklin, comes to Radio City Music Hall Fri., Feb 17 and Sat., Feb 18 at 8 p.m. 1260 Sixth Ave. For tickets and more information, visit www.radiocity.com or call (212) 247-4777.
  • A jazz tribute honoring “Four Black Immortals”-Paul Robeson, Jackie Robinson, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.-composed by Earnie Wilkins, conducted by Jimmy Health. The music will be performed by 52 musicians, including the Jimmy Heath Big Band, 16 Strings and the ARC Choir, with narrative poetry by Nana Camille Yarbrough. Sat., Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, 65th Street at Columbus Avenue. For more information, call (212) 234-7740, (718) 589-9414 or (212) 875-5030.
  • Diane Reeves is coming to Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th Street, Feb 24-26. For more information, call (212) 721-6500 or visit www.jalc.org.
  • Positive Community and the Rev. Dr. Johnny Ray Youngbood present a “Classic Black History Month Dance Party Tribute” to Hal Jackson on his 73 years in broadcasting. The dance will celebrate fitness, fellowship, family and fun to benefit the Hal Jackson Youth Development Foundation. Fri., Feb. 24 at 7 p.m., Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, Spann-Washington Fellowship Hall, 760 DeKalb Ave., Brooklyn. For more information, call (718) 388-3900 or (718) 525-6184.

Exhibitions

  • “Freedom’s Sisters,” a dynamic multimedia exhibition, celebrates 20 African-American women, including historic 19th-century figures and contemporary leaders. “Freedom’s Sisters” includes an essay-writing contest, in which an award of $10,000 in scholarships is given to local students. Among those included in the exhibit are Ella J. Baker, Constance Baker Motley, Shirley Chisholm, Kathleen Cleaver, Myrlie Evers-Williams, Fannie Lou Hamer, Dorothy Height, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Barbara Jordan, Mary McLeod Bethune, Rosa Parks, Sonia Sanchez, Coretta Scott King, Betty Shabazz, Harriet Tubman, C. Delores Tucker, Ida B. Wells and more. For more information on the exhibition, visit the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial & Educational Center, located at 3940 Broadway, or visit www.theshabazzcenter.net.
  • “Her Word as Witness: Portraits of Women Writers of the African Diaspora,” created and photographed by Laylah Amatullah Barrayn. On view now through March 31 at the Skylight Gallery, 1368 Fulton St., between Brooklyn and New York avenues in Bed-Stuy. For more information, call (718) 636-6949 or (646) 573-2422 or visit www.restorationplaza.org.

Community

  • “Vi at 75.” Come celebrate Pan-African activist Viola Plummer’s 75th birthday with dinner and dancing in your finest attire, Fri., Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Robert Ross Johnson Family Life Center,172-12 Linden Blvd., St. Albans, Queens. To RSVP, call (718) 398-1766, and for more info or to support Plummer’s work, write to Renaissance Women, 394 Putnam Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11216.
  • “Redefining Black Power, Reflections on the State of Black America,” with Esther Armah, Joanne Griffith, Akiba Solomon and Michaela Angela Davis, will answer the question “How-if at all-has the first Black presidency helped move things forward for people of color?” Tues., Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Brecht Forum, 451 West St. For more information, call (212) 242-4201, ext. 1, or visit brechtforum.org.
  • The second annual urban health conference “Urban Ecology and its Impact on Our Communities,” saluting the late Dr. Muriel Petioni, is coming Feb. 23-26. Register to attend today by calling (212) 862-7200 or visiting www.harlemhealthyliving.com/urbanheath.
  • Manning Marable’s controversial book on the life and legacy of Malcolm X will receive another knockout blow at CEMOTAP’s Sat., Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. at a forum where Malcolm’s former secretary, Abdullah Razaaq, will help set the record straight. Popular educator and WBAI radio host Bashir M’Chawi will interview him. Admission is free. The CEMOTAP Center is located at 135-05 Rockaway Blvd. in South Ozone Park. Call (718) 322-8454 for additional information.

Hear Imhotep Gary Byrd on 107.5 WBLS-FM daily with “Imhotep’s On-Air Guide to Black Events” and “Express Yourself,” Sunday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m., and on WLIB-AM with “The GBE Mind Flight,” Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to midnight (simulcast on WLIB-AM/WBLS-FM from 7-8 p.m.). The full show can be heard on HD radio at WBLS-HD2. IGB is also heard on WBAI-FM 99.5 with the GBE 2.0 “Global Black Experience” and “Global Beat Experience,” Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. We are archived online with both shows at www.wbai.org. To reach us about your event, email gbemail2@yahoo.com, find Imhotep Gary Byrd on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at GBELIFE.