The 19th Annual African American Cultural Celebration will take place at at the North Carolina Museum of History, 5 East Edenton Street, Raleigh, on Saturday, January 25th, 2020, 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 19th annual African American Cultural Celebration will feature:
- Musicians
- Storytellers
- Dancers
- Chefs
- Historians
- Playwrights
- Authors
- Artists
- Re-enactors
- More
African American Cultural Celebration Schedule
Learn more about all of these events and activities here.
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
- Saint Augustine’s University Superior Sound Marching Band and Drumline
Welcoming Remarks
- Angela Thorpe, director, North Carolina African American Heritage Commission
- Dr. Valerie Ann Johnson, professor, Bennett College, and chair, North Carolina African American Heritage Commission
Musical Performance
- Lynette Barber, actor, singer, musician, teacher: “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
Celebrate Culture: Exhibits
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Level 1
- Collecting Carolina
- The Story of North Carolina
Level 3
- Toy Boom! Toys from the 1950s and 1960s
- Quiltspeak: Uncovering Women’s Voices Through Quilts
Bicentennial Plaza
- Princeville Mobile Museum
Celebrate Music, Movement and Drama
Auditorium Stage, Daniels Auditorium, Level 1
- Host: Warren Keyes
- 11 a.m.: Majestic Angels–senior citizen dance troupe
- 11:45 a.m.: Lynnette Barber–performer as Sojourner Truth
- 12:30 p.m.: North Carolina Association of Black Storytellers
- 1:45 p.m.: Eugene Taylor–djembe drum performance
- 2:45 p.m.: Lucretia Wooten and Promise–gospel music group
- 3:50 p.m.: Tamisha Waden–R&B artist)
Roaming Performers
- Freddy Greene–saxophone
- Dwight Hawkins–guitar with saw and bones
Celebrate Literature and the Spoken Word
Demonstration Gallery, Level 1
Cohosts: Eleanora E. Tate, author, lecturer, manuscript consultant; Wanda Cox-Bailey, branch supervisor, Wake County Public Libraries; Johnny Ray Moore, author
- 11:15 a.m.: A Tureen of Tales (Donna Washington)
- 12 p.m.: Happy to be Stuck int he Middle: Writing for Middle School Audiences (Alicia D. Williams, Kwame Mbalia)
- 1 p.m.: Sing a Song (Kelly Starling Lyons)
- 1:45 p.m.: The Color of Character (Karla Holloway)
- 2:30 p.m.: The Mental Game: Talking About Health (Nick Courman)
- 3:15 p.m.: River Hymns (Tyree Daye)
- 4 p.m.: Reflections on Writing The Maid Brigade and Other Plays (Ella J Stewart)
Celebrate History, Enterprise, and Film
Longleaf Classroom, SECU Education Center, Level R
Host: Earl Ijames, curator, North Carolina Museum of History
- 11:45 a.m.: Princeville, a Story of Resilience
- 12:25 p.m.: Meet Negro Leagues Baseball Player Clifford Layton
- 1:05 p.m.: Historic Preservation of the George Henry White Community Memorial Center
- 1:45 p.m.: Researching the Underground Railroad and Historic Preservation of the Picot-Armstead-Pettiford House
- 2:25 p.m:The Unspoken Brotherhood of Vietnam Veterans: Archiving the Military Collection of Pvt. Lewis J. Raynor
- 3:05 p.m.:The Historic Preservation and Repurposing of Magnolia House
- 3:45 p.m.: Envision St. Agnes
Celebrate Craft and Art Traditions
Level 1
- Warren Goodson: walking stick carving and woodburning
- ERAGS: quilting
- Tarish “Jeghetto” Pipkins: puppet making
- Triangle Friends of African American Arts: visual and performing arts
- Jim McDowell: pottery
- Derisha Baker Brooks: display of Bennie Baker’s pipes
Level 3
- Jonathan Daniel: wire art
- Pinkie Strother: miniatures and clay figurines
- Betty Williams White: millinery (hat making)
- Mike Bennett: drawing and painting
- Katrina Brown: leather and wire jewelry
- Brandon Dudley: visual art
- Neal Thomas: white-oak basketmaking
- Rachel “Gemynii” Storer: visual art
- Shawn Etheridge, painting
SECU Education Center
- Ben Watford: pottery
Celebrate Sports and Games
10:30 a.m. to 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 Educational Center, Level R
- 11:30 a.m.: The Impact of Genealogy Studies
- 12:30 p.m.:Standing for Sacred Spaces: NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and the African American Burial Ground Network Act
- 1:15 p.m.: The Business of Durham
- 2 p.m.: Princeville: Remember the History; Maintain the Heritage
- 2:45 p.m.: Louis Austin and the Carolina Times: A Life in the Long Black Freedom Struggle
- 3;30 p.m.: Walking int he Footsteps of the Past
Celebrate Food, Health, and Beauty
Cardinal Classroom, SECU Education Center, Level R
- 11:45 a.m.: Refresh your Style: Looking Good Through the Ages
- 12:45 p.m.: Boricua Soul: Blending Puerto Rican and African American Flavors and Culture
- 2 p.m.: Sankofa Farms Provides Fertile Ground for Young Black Men
- 3 p.m.: His Side Hustle Takes the Cake
- 4 p.m.: Black Beauty: A Primer on Skin Care for People of Color
Bicentennial Plaza
- Sweet Tea & Cornbread, museum restaurant
- The Kupkake Fairy
- Black Farmers Market
Hands-On Activities and Information Tables
Level 1: The Story of North Carolina Exhibit
- Passport Activity Hunt
- Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens: Meet and play along with the Jonkonnu drummers.
- Somerset Place State Historic Site: Handle reproduction objects.
- State Capitol: Make “freedom hands” and learn about the 13th Amendment.
- Historic Stagville State Historic Site: Make a cowrie-shell necklace.
- Historic Edenton State Historic Site: Hear the Harriet Jacobs story.
- Historic Halifax State Historic Site: Learn about the Underground Railroad
- Civil War Reenactors: Battery B, 2nd Regiment, US Colored Light Artillery; 18th Army Corps; 37th US Colored Infantry
- Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum: Create a badge of the CHB pirate mascot.
- Pope House Museum, City of Raleigh Museum: Make a doctor’s head mirror and learn the history of Dr. M. T. Pope.
- Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society Inc. (AAHGS)
- Black Jedi Zulu: See Hip-Hop culture connect with the arts.
- Gresham’s Coins, Stamps, and Medals: Trace African American history through stamps
- 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
- Triangle Friends of African American Arts
- Wells Fargo
- You Can Vote
Level 3
- Head-Wrapping Demonstration: Techniques by Taji Shabu Jones, owner, Taji Natural Hair Styling; while supplies last, get your own head wrap ($)
- Rosenwald Schools Project
- Wheel of History: Test your knowledge of black history.
- Make a Hat or Crown: Create your own celebratory hat or crown out of paper.
- Adinkra Stamps: Learn about traditional West African symbols and create your own sticker to take home.
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
- State Archives of North Carolina, Special Collections Section
- Triangle Tribune
- Wake Technical Community College
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Carol Small the Realtor says
We are excited to attend this event! My mother is 97 yrs old and has agreed to attend with me!