The 18th Annual African American Cultural Celebration will take place at at the North Carolina Museum of History, 5 East Edenton Street, Raleigh, on Saturday, January 26th, 2019, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
This is a free event.
Named a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society, the 18th annual African American Cultural Celebration will feature more than 75 musicians, storytellers, dancers, chefs, historians, playwrights, authors, artists, re-enactors, and more.
Here’s some of what to expect, but be sure to visit the website for the African American Cultural Celebration for more information about each of these events and activities.
Opening Kickoff
10:30–11 a.m.
Bicentennial Plaza to Staircase Stage, Level 1
Procession
Join the procession up Bicentennial Plaza and into the museum lobby to open the event!
- United States Colored Troops Color Guard and Reenactors
- Tryon Palace Jonkonnu Drummers
- A Drummer’s World Drumline
Welcoming Remarks
- Angela Thorpe, acting director, North Carolina African American Heritage Commission
- Dr. Valerie Ann Johnson, professor, Bennett College, and chair, North Carolina African American Heritage Commission
Musical Performance
- Wake Technical Community College Inspirational Choir: “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
Celebrate Culture: Exhibits
9 a.m.–5 a.m.
Level 1
The Negro Travelers’ Green Book: The Guide to Travel and Vacation
A display of this artifact, the book’s 1959 edition, is made possible, in part, by the Green Books’ Oasis Spaces project of the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission, with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Collecting Carolina
A new spin on this small exhibit in the museum’s lobby case features seldom-seen objects from our collections and uses touch-screen technology to share unique stories gleaned from them. Included in this installation are a pair of bathroom doors—one for white women and one for African American women—that were installed at the old state farmer’s market during the Jim Crow era; a bench painted by self-taught folk artist Sam “The Dot Man” McMillan from Winston-Salem; and a pair of ballet slippers (pointe shoes) made for and worn by Debra Austin. Through Tuesday, Apr. 30.
Level 3
The North Carolina Roots of Artist Ernie Barnes
Known for his unique style of elongation, energy, and movement, Barnes is the first professional American athlete to become a noted painter! This exhibition features many unpublished original paintings and includes artifacts from his Durham childhood and his football career. Through Sunday, Mar. 3.
Freedom! A Promise Disrupted: North Carolina, 1862–1901
Start your Black History Month early with this exhibit on the triumphs and struggles of North Carolina’s Reconstruction era, a time when formerly enslaved men, women, and children—as well as many nonwhite citizens—set out to claim the rights and possibilities of new post–Civil War freedoms; unfortunately, the time was limited from the outset, then cut short by a backlash of racism and terrorism. Opens Friday, Jan. 25.
CELEBRATE Music, Movement, and Drama
Staircase Stage, Level 1
Host: Marquis Crews, Black Jedi Zulu and regional director, Bronco Chapter (Fayetteville State University), Groove Phi Groove Social Fellowship
- 11:30 a.m.–noon Wake Technical Community College Inspirational Choir: gospel
- 12:15–12:45 p.m. Capital City Steppers: Chicago-Style Stepping, dance
- 1–1:30 p.m. Tyler Butler-Figueroa: violinist
- 1:45–2:15 p.m. Robin Mills: spoken-word artist
- 2:30–3 p.m. Whitt-ness the Journey: Affralachians in the Appalachians, musical storytelling
- 3:15–3:45 p.m. North Carolina Central University: modern dance
- 4–4:30 p.m. Chris Feed: R&B/soul
Auditorium Stage, Daniels Auditorium, Level 1
Host: Warren Keyes, singer and regional stage and voice-over actor
- 11–11:30 a.m. YES: Youth Exploration Services, St. Paul AME Church: “A Tribute to African Americans in Theater and Films”
- 11:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m. J. Ivy, poet, writer, voice-over artist, photographer, and Empower Dance Studio, facilitated by Nicole Oxendine: dance tribute to artist Ernie Barnes and his painting titled as Sugar Shack
- 12:30–1:15 p.m. North Carolina Association of Black Storytellers: storytelling vignettes
- 1:30–2 p.m. Durham Divas ’n Dudes: senior citizen cheerleaders
- 2:20–2:50 p.m. BWYA (Be Who You Are): R&B
- 3:10–3:40 p.m. Frankie Alexander: jazz vocalist
- 4–4:30 p.m. Zoocrü: jazz
CELEBRATE Literature and the Spoken Word
Demonstration Gallery, Level 1
Cohosts: Eleanora E. Tate, author, lecturer, manuscript consultant; Judy Allen Dodson, librarian/archivist, Olivia Raney Local History Library, Wake County Public Libraries; Wanda Cox-Bailey, branch supervisor, Wake County Public Libraries
Area sponsored, in part, by the North Carolina Writers’ Network.
A book signing will follow each presentation.
- 11:15–11:45 a.m. Our Story: The African American Presence in Granville County, North Carolina
- Noon–12:30 p.m. Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut
- 12:45–1:15 p.m. We Are All One: Moving Toward Unity in an Artificially Divided World
- 1:30–2 p.m. All the Colors We Will See
- 2:15–2:45 p.m. A Price Was Paid: Telling Our Stories through Historical Fiction
- 3–3:45 p.m. Creating Our Own Stories: Independent and Small Press Publishing
CELEBRATE History, Enterprise, and Film
Longleaf Classroom, SECU Education Center, Level R
Host: Earl Ijames, curator, North Carolina Museum of History
- 11:15–11:45 a.m. Sharecropper’s Wisdom: Growing Today’s Leaders the Old Fashioned Way
- 11:55 a.m.–12:25 p.m. Don’t Wait Til It’s Cool: An NC Hip-Hop Photography Exhibit
- 12:35–1:05 p.m. Our Roots: African Origins and the Reclaimed Legacy of Three American Families
- 1:15–2 p.m. Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship in African American Enterprise
- 2:10–2:40 p.m. Rosenwald School Reborn: ECSU’s Northeast NC African American Research & Cultural Center
- 2:50–3:20 p.m. The Unfolding of Negro History through the Eye of a Lens: A Collection of 19th Century Photography
- 3:30–4 p.m. A Conversation with James Payne: It’s All about Respect
A Call to Arms Gallery, Level 3
10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m
Civil War Reenactors: Battery B, 2nd Regiment, US Colored Light Artillery; 18th Army Corps; 37th US Colored Infantry
CELEBRATE Craft and Art Traditions
Level 1
- Greg Paige, portrait paintings
- Warren Goodson, walking stick carving and woodburning
- African American Quilt Circle of Durham, quilting
- Tarish “Jeghetto” Pipkins, puppet maker
- Triangle Friends of African American Arts, visual and performing arts
- Jim McDowell, potter
Level 3
- Jonathan Daniel, wire artist
- Pinkie Strother, miniatures and clay figurines
- Betty Williams White, milliner (hat maker)
- Neal Thomas, white-oak basketmaker
- Kisha Rawlinson Kinard, sweetgrass basketmaker
- Mike Bennett, artist
- Rachel Storer “Gemynii,” visual artist
- Brandon Dudley, painter
SECU Education Center
- Ben Watford, potter
CELEBRATE Sports and Games
10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Bicentennial Plaza
On the Right Track: Check out the cars and talk with members of the Eugene Coard drag-racing team about their experiences on and off the track, then take the seatbelt challenge!
CELEBRATE Education and Heritage
Dogwood Classroom, SECU Education Center, Level R
Cohosts: Naomi Shakir Feaste, director, Cultural Enrichment Services; Youssef Carter, Department of Anthropology, Harvard University
- 11:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Making the Invisible Visible: African American Life in Far Western NC
- 12:30–1 p.m. Finding Common Ground: Lessons Learned from a Career in Public Service
- 1:15–1:45 p.m. The Chapel Hill Nine: Civil Rights Veterans from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
- 2–2:30 p.m. Grits, Greens, and Griots: The Voices of African American Elders from the South
- 2:45–3:15 p.m. Pedagogy of Survival: The Narratives of Millicent E. Brown and Josephine Boyd Bradley
- 3:30–4 p.m. Reaching Children Where They Are
CELEBRATE Food, Health, and Beauty
Cardinal Classroom, SECU Education Center, Level R
Host: Bridgette A. Lacy, author and journalist
- 11:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Redemption Carrot Cake and Other Life Lessons
- 12:45–1:30 p.m. Son of a Pitmaster
- 1:45–2:30 p.m. Ending a Food Desert: The Makings of Renaissance Community Co-op
- 3–3:45 p.m. All in the Family: The Legacy of Mama Dip
- 4–4:30 p.m. Yoga: Stretch for Health and Breathe for Life
SECU Education Center, Level R
10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Rhonda’s Pie Creations
Visit with educator and culinary arts teacher Rhonda Muhammad to learn the traditions surrounding her sweet treats, made from non-traditional sources like black beans and butternut squash. Be sure to get your Custard Bean Pie sample, then purchase pies to take home!
Mama Dip’s
Talk with members of the Council family and purchase Mama Dip’s food products.
Bicentennial Plaza
10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
- Food Trucks
- Farmers’ Kitchen Catering: Chef Hadassah Patterson
- Favor Desserts: Keijuane Hester
- The Kupkake Fairy: Aisha and Joseph White
- Black Farmers Market
- Julius Tillery, farmer and owner of Black Cotton http://blackcotton.us/about-us/
- Pine Knot Farms, Stanley Hughes and Linda Leech, third-generation farmers of pork, produce, chicken, home cured hams
Hands-on Activities and Information Tables
10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Level 1
- Black Jedi Zulu: See Hip-Hop culture connect with the arts.
- Gresham’s Coins, Stamps, and Medals: Trace African American history through stamps.
- J. Ivy
- Miss Black North Carolina
- MopTopShop: Let off some STEAM with Lollipop and Mop Top, the Hip-Hop Scientist.
- North Carolina Association of Black Storytellers
- North Carolina Museum of History Associates: Sign up for half-price museum memberships TODAY only!
- North Carolina Writers’ Network
- Passport Activity
- Triangle Friends of African American Arts
- Youth Exploration Services Inc.
Level 3
Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Division of State Historic Sites:
- Historic Stagville: Make a cowrie-shell necklace.
- Historic Edenton: Hear the Harriet Jacobs story.
- Historic Halifax: Learn about the Underground Railroad.
- Somerset Place: Handle reproduction objects.
- Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum: Tie a bow tie and balance a book on your head!
- State Capitol: Make “freedom hands” and learn about the 13th Amendment.
- Girl Scouts, North Carolina Coastal Pines Council
- Head-Wrapping Demonstration: Techniques by Shabu Jones, owner, Taji Natural Hair Styling; get your own head wrap for $5.
- Jumpsuit Project: Join the conversation about how people view those whom society has labeled criminal with artist and former inmate Sherrill Roland.
- Kin Ties Bracelet: Knot an upcycled wristband.
- Lynching in North Carolina: Acknowledgement projects by Raleigh Charter High School, Exploris Middle School, and Middle Creek High School.
- Memory Postcard: Record your memories and mail yourself a message!
- Pope House Museum, City of Raleigh Museum: Make a doctor’s head mirror and learn the history of Dr. M. T. Pope.
- Rosenwald Schools Project
- State Archives of North Carolina
- Story Sticks: Work together to create your group’s story stick to take home.
- Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens: Meet and play along with the Jonkonnu drummers.
- Wheel of History: Test your knowledge of black history.
SECU Education Center, Level R
- Family Resource Center South Atlantic
- North Carolina African American Heritage Commission, featuring Journeys Toward Freedom
- North Carolina Freedom Monument Park Project
- North Carolina Government and Heritage Library
- North Carolina Leadership Immersion Program
- Triangle Tribune
- Wake Technical Community College
We are excited to attend this event! My mother is 97 yrs old and has agreed to attend with me!