Wow! 2015 already! Well, although it may seem like time is just flying by, it also marks the beginning of a whole new year of exciting events, exhibits and more celebrating African-American culture all over the Diaspora. Happy New Year and enjoy!
ONGOING EVENTS
Through Jan. 18
“40 and Counting: Celebrating 40 Years at the Gantt Center Through Art, Culture and Community” (Charlotte, N.C.)
This unique exhibit highlights and celebrates the photography, works on paper, African art, paintings, textiles, sculptures and more from more than half a dozen exhibitions presented by a wide array of artists, curators, staff members and volunteers over the past 40 years at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and Culture. The exhibit goes far beyond celebrating the highlights of these former exhibits by focusing on the extensive work that has gone into showcasing the work of more than 300 local, national and internationally renowned artists.
704-547-3700, www.ganttcenter.org
Through March
Black College Expo
Representing dozens of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the Black College Expo is designed to connect students with college representatives and provide information about scholarships, financial aid, campus life and so on. Held in different cities throughout spring, activities range from career recruitment booths to seminars, competitions, step shows and more.
Jan. 24: Oakland
Jan. 31: Los Angeles
Jan. 28: Houston
March 14: D.C./Maryland
March 28: Atlanta
877-427-4100, www.thecollegeexpo.org/index.php/events/black-college-expo
CURRENT EVENTS
Jan. 10-11
Lift Every Voice Concert and Seminar (Annapolis, Md.)
Held at St. John’s College, this annual event celebrates both the Civil Rights Movement and the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The seminar offers participants the opportunity to discuss a reading relevant to human and civil rights, and the concert will feature the St. John’s College King Celebration Chorus, as well as several regional performers, including Gospel Truth, the Queen Sisters, Chozen and the All-Children’s Chorus of Annapolis.
443-482-6579, www.sjc.edu/programs-and-events/annapolis/mlk-celebration
Jan. 11-18 and March 1-8
Smooth Jazz Cruise (the Bahamas and Caribbean)
What better way to start the New Year than on a Smooth Jazz Cruise! Sail on Holland America as part of this popular annual event that features the best of the best in jazz music, featuring Kirk Whalun, Natalie Cole, Brian Simpson, Marcus Miller and Boney James, just to name a few. The ports of call for this exciting journey are Nassau, St. Thomas, St. Croix, and Half Moon Cay.
888-852-9987, www.thesmoothjazzcruise.com/2015
Jan. 17
San Diego Sheila Hardin Multicultural Festival (San Diego, Calif.)
Join in on the fun at this free annual family-friendly festival held at Ruocco Park. Drawing an estimated 20,000 people each year, the event showcases the region’s rich cultural and traditional heritage through kids’ crafts and activities, culinary booths, live entertainment, educational and arts and crafts booths and more.
619-235-2200, http://sdmulticultural.com
Jan. 17
World Beer Festival (Columbia, S.C.)
Hosted by All About Beer magazine, the World Beer Festival—named one of the premier beer events in the country—is a celebration of the positive attributes of the growing beer culture. Activities include beer samples from craft, specialty and imports from local, regional, national and global breweries, a variety of seminars and exhibits from nationally recognized beer authors and more. This traveling festival will also take place in: Raleigh, N.C. (April 11), Cleveland, Ohio (June TBD) and Durham, N.C. (October TBD).
919-530-8150, www.worldbeerfestival.com
Jan. 19
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration (Washington, D.C.)
In observance of the birthday of civil rights humanitarian and leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the National Park Service will host a wreath laying service the morning of Jan. 19, as well as an open public discussion on his role in the Civil Rights Movement throughout the weekend. Celebration activities also include, on Jan. 19 as well, a combination parade and peace walk.
202-426-6841, www.nps.gov/mlkm/index.htm, http://mlkholidaydc.org
Jan. 19 (opening day)
“Free at First: The Audacious Journey of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians” (Chicago, Ill.)
Presented by the DuSable Museum of African American History, “Free at First: The Audacious Journey of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians” is in honor of this group, who, according to the museum, was “unfettered by convention and tradition and adopted a ‘free’ style that recognized no boundaries and defied categorization. The AACM had the audacity to compose, perform, publish, own and institutionalize their own music and to prepare future exponents of their genre-bending, experimental form.” The exhibit will encompass performance costumes, iconic instruments, historic photographs, musical soundscapes and more. The exhibit runs through Sept. 6.
773-947-0600, www.dusablemuseum.org
Jan. 24 through Feb. 1
26th annual Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities (Eatonville, Fla.)
This festival is celebrating its 26th anniversary this year. A multiday, multidisciplinary event, the annual Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities commemorates the life and work of this highly regarded African-American writer, folklorist and anthropologist. It also strives to highlight the significance of her hometown, Eatonville, Fla., known as the nation’s oldest incorporated African-American municipality, as well as the cultural contributions people of African ancestry have made to the United States and world culture.
407-647-3307, www.zorafestival.org
Jan. 31
Ladysmith Black Mambazo (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
The Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College is proud to present the Grammy Award-winning group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Hailing from South Africa, the group is known for their outstanding rhythms and harmonies that reflect the musical traditions of their native country. Over the past 50 years, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has become a cultural phenomenon, recording with numerous venerable artists such as Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Josh Groban, Dolly Parton and Melissa Etheridge, just to name a few.
718-951-4500, www.brooklyncenter.org
Lysa Allman Baldwin is a freelance writer and the publisher and editor of Amazing Escapades, featuring “adventures for the mind, bod and belly” (www.amazingescapades.com).
