On Saturday, February 4 from 1:00 – 2:00 pm, Lyman Allyn Art Museum in Old Lyme will host a presentation by Adwoa Bandele-Asante in the form of live performance in honor of Harriett Tubman. This one woman show, written and performed by Bandele-Asante is arguably the best post-Civil War portrayal of Harriet Tubman to date. Through the story of Harriet Tubman’s struggle for freedom from slavery and inclusion as an American citize n, Adwoa demonstrates how faith, courage, and commitment inspired this great woman warrior, healer, and builder of the twentieth century. The event is free to the public. More information available here.
On Saturday, February 4, at 2:00 pm, La Grua Center in Stonington will host Antoinette Brim-Bell, Connecticut’s 8th State Poet Laureate. She will present her poems and reflect on her own life, the power of words for social change, and the importance of poems and spoken word in her community. Her poetry has appeared in various journals, magazines, textbooks, and anthologies, including Villanelles, 44 on 44: Forty-Four African American Writers on the 44th President of the United States, Not A Muse, and has appeared in Poetry Magazine and Poem-a-Day. The event will be Co-hosted with the James Merrill House. Suggested donation $5 for attendees. The event is sponsored by CT Humanities. For a full schedule of events, visit their website.
On Friday, February 10, at 7:30pm, EVIDENCE, a dance company that focuses on the seamless integration of traditional African Dance with contemporary choreography and spoken word, will be performing at Athey Center, Palmer Auditorium, on the Connecticut College campus. The production, titled, “The Equity of Day and Night’, was created by Ronald K Brown. Brown uses movement as a way to reinforce the importance of community in African American culture and to acquaint audiences with the beauty of African forms and rhythms. In this award-winning choreographer’s new work, “The Equality of Night and Day” (TEND), Brown examines the concepts of equity and fairness in a world where exploitation, gentrification, racism, and xenophobia are on the rise. “TEND” is a work that seeks to explore truth not from anger but with a gentle focus that draws on history. Purchase tickets here.
The Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Mystic & Noank Library and Kevin Booker Jr. are presenting their second annual Celebration of Black History Month Program. The program is hosted by Kevin Booker, Jr., a Mitchell College and Connecticut College professor who also offers training in leadership and diversity, equity and inclusion though his company, Booker Empowerment, LLC. The second annual celebration is set for Saturday, February 11 from 10am to 12:30pm. Students are invited to speak and Kevin Booker Jr. will be the emcee. The program will start at the Mystic Flag Pole where the Black National Anthem will be performed before walking up West Main Street to the Union Baptist Church, indoors, for the rest of the program.
On Thursday, February 23, from 6pm-830pm, 6th Dimension brings you a special evening of performance produced by Sageseeker Productions. Experience the Afro-future though ritual, spoken word, and music. A cash bar will be available. 6th Dimension is a multimedia exhibition curated by Juanita Sunday open at Connecticut College from January 23 – March 9. The exhibition transports viewers through a multiversal experience of Black realities. In different planes of existence, what does the Black body look like and how does it function – who are we in another world — in another time or dimension?
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