Based on one of the readings by notable African Americans presented at the workshop, participants are invited to create an image based on the poem or passage that is meaningful to them.  Time will be reserved at the end of the workshop for participants to share their art and thoughts about the activity.  Canvas, easels and all other materials provided. 

Conchetta Jenifer and Miriah Payne are the founders of Queens & Paint where you can be your own Picasso!  They aim to create space for minds to relax, unwind, and enjoy artistic endeavors by providing a safe and comfortable environment for people to explore their art. Honoring Black History means cultivating a space to engage in meaningful conversations that will build community while creating art that honors our history!

Tickets are free, but seating is limited.  Please register in advance via  Eventbrite. For more information send an email to NA.BHM.Events@gmail.com 

James Dargan performs Passion Programs that combine music and spoken word to take audiences on a journey. Each program speaks to a specific social theme with music of different genres, interwoven with commentary on how they connect to our own lives.

Oh, Glory!  grew out of a desire to celebrate Black American musical history; it gathers some of the core repertoire of five great Black musicians (Paul Robeson, Roland Hayes, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, and Robert McFerrin, Sr.) to invoke their spirits, honor their accomplishments, and inspire us to question the status quo. Nina Simone said that “Freedom is the absence of fear", and music can help us taste that freedom.

James Dargan is a musician and writer from North Carolina; he is based in New York City, where he sings while composing, playing the violin, writing, and teaching. James has been a musician since he was a child, and has shared his voice and carefully curated programs all over the US and Europe. James also teaches on spirituals and other Black music, and is honored to walk in his family tradition of telling truthful stories. James relishes writing for Black singers, and he is currently writing two operas. Career highlights include solo work with The Boston Pops, and operatic work with esperanza spalding and Wayne Shorter. James is a founding member of the consortium Ring Shout.

Tickets are free, but seating is limited.  Please register in advance via  Eventbrite.  Parking is available on Academy Rd; please reserve spots in front of the building for the elderly and disabled.  For more information send an email to NA.BHM.Events@gmail.com  

In 1903, W.E.B. Du Bois published his classic The Souls of Black Folk where he used the sacred music of African Americans, "ten master songs," to shape the analytical foundations for interpreting their history and culture. In 1924, Du Bois expanded that analytical foundation with his lesser known but highly significant volume, The Gift of Black Folk: The Negroes in the Making of America. "The Singing Souls of Black Folk" uses Du Bois's analyses as a springboard to explore the role of African American music, sacred and secular, in the continued "making" of America and to highlight the importance of celebrating "the Arts" in the African American experience.

Cheryl Townsend Gilkes (Pronounced "Jillks") is the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Professor Emerita of African-American Studies and Sociology at Colby College (Waterville, Maine). An ordained Baptist minister, she is an assistant pastor for special projects at the Union Baptist Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She has served as visiting faculty at several seminaries and schools of divinity, most recently Chicago Theological Seminary. She will also serve as a Distinguished Professor, Community Liaison, and Research Consultant for the Hartford International University for Religion and Peace (formerly Hartford Seminary). She holds degrees in sociology from Northeastern University (B.A., M.A., Ph.D.), has pursued graduate theological studies at Boston University's School of Theology, and has received an honorary Doctor of Divinity (D. D.) from Ursinus College.   In addition to her book, she has published articles in scholarly journals and edited volumes on race and ethnicity, the work of W.E.B. Du Bois, and African American religion.

Tickets are free, but seating is limited.  Please register in advance via  Eventbrite.  Parking is available on Academy Rd; please reserve spots in front of the building for the elderly and disabled.  For more information send an email to NA.BHM.Events@gmail.com  

Gospel music performed by local choirs

Merrimack Valley's Choral Majority under the direction of Eric and Robin Allison Lindahl in addition to other local choirs who will bring all to their feet as they celebrate the gospel through praise and song.  Expect a high energy evening!

The Choral Majority Gospel Choir is a Merrimack Valley-based non-profit arts ministry who have shared their message of faith, love and unity with audiences across New England for over 30 years.  The group includes members and music of different heritages and sings in multiple languages reflecting the rich heritage diversity of our country.

Tickets are free, but seating is limited. Please register in advance via Eventbrite . Parking is available on Academy Rd; please reserve spots in front of the building for the elderly and disabled. For more information send an email to NA.BHM.Events@gmail.com.