Black History Month is in full swing, and activities will continue across the city and nation throughout February. Here are some local events to…
Black History Month is in full swing, and activities will continue across the city and nation throughout February. Here are some local events to explore.
THURSDAY
Noon-1 p.m.: Noted North Texas actor Selmore Haines III will discuss his one-man role in the popular play Thurgood, written by George Stevens Jr., in which Haines portrays the legendary former U. S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Haines won the DFW Theatre Critics Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play for his portrayal. He currently stars in Thurgood at Bishop Arts Theatre Center, 215 S. Tyler St. (Tickets are $18-$30 and available at are $18 to $30 and available at www.bishopartstheatre.org .) Free. Location: Dallas City Hall lobby, 1500 Marilla St.
7 p.m.: Dr. John Cullen Grusser, an English professor at Kean University, will discuss the book The Hindered Hand by Sutton E. Griggs. Griggs was son of the Rev. A. R. Griggs, who founded several early black churches in Dallas, including Griggs Chapel and the historic New Hope Baptist Church. Griggs Park in Uptown also is named for the pastor. Free. African-American Museum auditorum, Fair Park.
FRIDAY
11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.: “Hidden Figures” is a panel discussion on local male leaders and the influence they have on their communities. Panelists will include Dallas City Council member Kevin Felder, Dallas County Constable Roy Williams, financial services executive Calvin Washington, Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price and activist Richard Miles, founder and director of the nonprofit Miles of Freedom, which helps former inmates reintegrate into their communities after prison. Free. Location: Martin Luther King Jr Recreation Center, 2901 Pennsylvania Ave.
SATURDAY
9 a.m.-noon: “Hidden History: DFW’s African American Treasures” is a tour that will explore historic buildings and settlements to trace the evolution of African-American life in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Sites will include Deep Ellum and Freedman’s Cemetery. The tour will leave from the J. B. Jackson Jr. DART Transit Center at 1423 J. B. Jackson Blvd. and will include an optional stop for lunch at a black-owned restaurant. Tickets are $35 and available at www.hiddenhistoryDFW.com. To inquire, call 469-251-0236 or email info@hiddenhistorydfw.com.
FEB. 22
Noon- 1 p.m.: LaRome Armstrong will discuss the evolution of African-American music. Armstrong wrote the book The Beatles, the Rolling Stones & the Power of Black Music and founded The Dallas Black Film Festival. Free. Location: Dallas City Hall lobby, 1500 Marilla St.
FEB. 24
9 a.m.-noon: “Hidden History: DFW’s African-American Treasures.” See above for details.
11 a.m.: Dr. Latrese Adkins Weathersby will speak at the third annual Dr. Carter G. Woodson Luncheon. Weathersby is an associate researcher and academic writing coach for the African American Faith Communities Project. Her talk is called “Defending and Defining Our Ethnic Identities in African-American History.” A box lunch is available for $10. Location: The Family Life Center at Fourth Avenue Church of Christ, 3220 Park Row Ave. Call 214-478-7228 by Tuesday to RSVP.
FEB. 28
Noon-1 p.m.: Dr. George Keaton Jr. will discuss Dallas Black History anecdotes and local black history-makers. Keaton is founder and executive director of Remembering Black Dallas. The event will include an exhibition of historical photos. Free. Location: Dallas City Hall lobby, 1500 Marilla St.
6:30 p.m.: Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Museum Debate Team members will demonstrate their skill in Dallas before leaving to participate in the Atlanta Urban League Tournament in May. Free. Location: Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy, 1700 E. Camp Wisdom Road. To learn more, call 469-458-0208. ABOUT TOWN
State Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, will receive the James C. Belt Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award at St. Luke Community United Methodist Church’s 2018 Honors Brunch, sponsored by the United Methodist Men’s organization. The brunch will be at 11 a.m. Feb. 24 at Paul Quinn College, 3837 Simpson Stuart Road. A portion of proceeds will benefit the college’s James C. Belt Jr. Scholarship Fund. Tickets are $50 and available at www.slcumc.org .
Brunch spokesman Terry Robinson said West is being honored for his leadership and for civil rights and social activism reminiscent of the award’s namesake. Belt was an outspoken Dallas attorney and devoted St. Luke member who died in 2015. The first Belt award was presented last year to Ron Kirk, the former Dallas mayor and U. S. trade ambassador.
