BLACK HISTORY month Calendar of events

A list of area events to commemorate in February, Black History Month, as submitted to The Vindicator:

MAHONING COUNTY

Today: “Experience the Music of West Africa” at 6:30 p.m. at the main library of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, 305 Wick Ave. Guests will be invited to experience the rhythms, dances and songs of West Africa with West African drummer and performer Sogbety Diomande.

Tuesday: A lecture by Dr. OkakaOpio Dokotum will be offered at 7 p.m. in the Ohio Room of Kilcawley Center. Dokotum, associate professor of literature and film at Kyambogo University, Kampala, Uganda, will present “Debunking the Myth of Africa, the Dark Continent.” He is a poet, playwright and filmmaker. His scholarly research is on literature, film adaptation theory and the re-imagining of African literary scholarship through film adaptation studies. He is a Fulbright African Research Scholar at Northern Illinois University.

Friday: Youngstown’s Total Package Band and R&B singing group Synphony will perform from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Monteen’s, 3807 Belmont Ave., Liberty. Cost is $5 at the door. There will be a best-dressed contest, line dancing and a disc jockey. Guests are invited to learn the new line dance from the original song by Greg Johnson, “Keep the Dream Alive, a tribute to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” The video can be viewed on YouTube. For information, call 330-720-2485.

Saturday: Temple Emmanuel Seventh-day Adventist Church, 108 W. Indianola Ave., Youngstown, will host a free Black History Month event, a mock wedding “Journey to Freedom,” at 6 p.m. The event is directed by Carolyn P. Brown Alli and presided by Pastor Bryant L. Smith. For information, contact Alli at 330-743-3860 or Barbara Brown at 330-788-8815.

Sunday: The Rev. Emanuel T. Adams will speak at 4 p.m. at Beulah Baptist Church, 570 Sherwood Ave., Youngstown, and discuss the Dec. 22 march in downtown Youngstown to protest the shooting of black men by white police officers nationwide and how it will affect the city and its people of all colors.

Feb. 23: “The Missing Link by the Bondage Busters” is set for 7 p.m. in the Ohio Room of Kilcawley Center. The Missing Link is a docudrama by the Bondage Busters, a youth group in Youngstown dedicated to the education and empowerment of black youths. The group will showcase its activities that includes creative media drama on stage. Bondage Busters is led by Pastor Charles Hudson, a native of Youngstown, who founded the group in 1989 in Crenshaw, Calif. Pastor Hudson teaches and supervises more than 100 children at Martin Luther Lutheran Church in Youngstown. He targets gangs and other groups within city limits that draw children into a life of criminal behavior.

Feb. 24: A family story time event to honor Black History Month is set for 6:30 p.m. at the main library, 305 Wick Ave. The event will feature stories, songs and activities about black artists and musicians, and guests will make a craft to take home. Children under 7 must be accompanied by an adult.

Feb. 25: A panel discussion, “What is wrong with our Criminal Justice System?,” will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Jones Room of Kilcawley Center. Panelists include members of YSU’s Department of Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement and community leaders who will address the issues of law enforcement and race and suggest ways of improvement. Members of the audience will be able share their experiences.

Feb. 28: The Black Knights Police Association will present “History of the Black Knights” from 1 to 4 p.m. at McGuffey Centre, 1649 Jacobs Road, Youngstown. The group will celebrate its 40-year history and its role in local law enforcement. Guests are invited to meet with police officers who made history and continue to do so today. The event is free, and refreshments will be available. The police association’s president is Jimmy Hughes, former city police chief; organizer, Delphine Baldwin-Casey; and committee members are Anita Davis, Jerome Williams and Milton Eskew.

TRUMBULL COUNTY

Today and Tuesday: The Warren Heritage Center will present two evenings of discussion for Black History Month at 6:30 p.m. at the Kinsman House, 303 Mahoning Ave. NW, Warren. There will be presentations by Warren Councilwoman Helen Rucker, Warren Mayor Doug Franklin and historian Wendell Lauth. There is no admission charge, but seating will be limited. The event will also include a sneak preview of renovations to Kinsman House.

Saturday: A Free Family Day event at the Butler Institute of American Art Trumbull Branch, 9350 E. Market St., Howland, will begin at 2 p.m. and will focus on noted African-America fiber artist Faith Ringhold. A librarian from the Howland Branch of the Warren/Trumbull County Public Library will read “Tar Beach,” a story by Ringhold. Using the artist’s work as inspiration, students will create a quilt square and all squares will be assembled into a completed quilt for display in the museum. For information, call 330-743-1107, ext. 114 or email joycemistovich@butlerart.com.

Feb. 23: There will be a movie matinee and discussion group at 2 p.m. at the Warren main library, 444 Mahoning Ave. NW. A classic movie will be shown in the library meeting room, and a discussion led by a librarian will follow the film. The February featured film will celebrate Black History Month. No reservations are necessary.

Feb. 28: Guest speaker Arthur Byrd will be discuss the history of black films at 2 p.m. at the Warren main library, 444 Mahoning Ave. NW. After working many years as a videographer and photojournalist, Byrd is an instructor at YSU. He has won awards as a filmmaker and journalist and also has written and produced numerous independent films. No reservations are required.