[Durham INC] FREE and educational FAMILY event: African American Cultural Celebration, NC Museum of History

Thu Jan 21 13:20:29 EST 2010

Please see below. My family and I have done this 2-3 years in a row now, and it is always a lot of fun for the kids AND the adults. I hope you all can make it :)

Melissa (Rooney)

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: "Grant, Emily" <emily.grant at ncdcr.gov>
To: "Grant, Emily" <emily.grant at ncdcr.gov>
Sent: Thu, January 21, 2010 9:29:02 AM
Subject: FW: upcoming African American Cultural Celebration at the NC Museum of History

Hey everybody, 
It’s that time of
the year again and we are getting geared up for the museum’s 9th annual African American Cultural
Celebration! Please check out the attached information, our website www.ncmuseumofhistory.org , our
facebook page, the NC Arts Council website http://ncarts.org/orgspage.cfm?ser=18051 and help us spread the word!  It’s fun, it’s inspiring
and it’s FREE! Hope to see you
there,
Emily 

NEWS RELEASE
Press
Contacts:                                                                     
          For Immediate Release
Susan Friday Lamb,
919-807-7943                                         

Emily Grant,
919-807-7979
AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL
CELEBRATION

 Black History Month begins two days early at the Ninth Annual African American Cultural Celebration on Saturday, Jan. 30, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh .Each
year, the event’s presenters arrive from across North Carolina to share their history and
culture during this large festival. Bring the family to this fun and educational
event with more than 50 presenters and loads of hands-on activities for all
ages. Truly a celebration, the variety of dancers, musicians, actors, authors,
storytellers, artists, craftspeople and others will bring to life the rich
heritage of the state’s African Americans, past and present. Admission and parking are free.
This
year’s African American Cultural Celebration continues its strong tradition of
engaging presentations. For example, visitors will hear music performed by legendary bluesman Big Ron Hunter and
nationally acclaimed musician Grenaldo Frazier, composer of the gospel
off-Broadway musical “Mama I Want to Sing,” to name a few. But the event
encompasses much more than music. Modern dance company Cyrus Art Productions
will perform and teach dance moves, storytellers from the N.C. Association of
Black Storytellers will captivate both young and old, Rhonda Muhammed will
serve up hometown cooking tips, and artists like carver Frank Barrow and
basketmaker Neal Thomas will demonstrate their talents. Stay for
lunch and purchase foods from vendors on Bicentennial Plaza ,
directly outside the museum.

 “Many cultural groups have made significant contributions to North Carolina , yet
their achievements are not always recognized in textbooks,” says Emily Grant,
the museum’s youth programs coordinator, who organizes the annual event. “This
celebration gives us a wonderful opportunity to tell the stories of many
individuals. We try to strike a balance between historical programs and presentations
about contemporary topics.”

Special guests include staff from the Freelon Group, who will highlight Durham architect Philip Freelon’s recent projects, such as the Harvey  Gantt Center 
in Charlotte and the International  Civil Rights  Museum in Greensboro . They will also share their plans
for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture
in Washington , D.C. With construction slated to begin in
2012, this will be the first national museum devoted exclusively
to the documentation of African American life. 

History and drama will be part of the event. Visitors can watch scenes from the
play “Phillis Wheatley and Friends”: see historical figures come to life from
the museum’s upcoming exhibit on Thomas Day, who operated North Carolina ’s largest furniture workshop in 1850 and became the
state’s best-known cabinetmaker; or learn about the George  Eastman School 
in northeastern North Carolina .

A sampling of activities follows. For a complete
schedule or more information,go
to ncmuseumofhistory.org or call
919-807-7900.
● Music and dance will take the stage with the gospel
sounds of Gerald Hinton, the African dance moves of Collage Dance Company, and
others.
● Watch craft demonstrations and take a workshop led
by miniaturist Pinkie Strother . See Benny Baker make intricately carved pipes, Jerome Bias create furniture and other artisans at
work.
● Games
and crafts combine learning with fun. Play traditional African games, make a
cowrie shell necklace, or join a quilting bee, to name a few.
 ●
Individuals will highlight historical topics and literary milestones. For
example, Zelda Lockhart will moderate a session on her project about collecting
oral histories from Mama and Baba Shabu, and Scott Washington will discuss the George Eastman  School in Enfield .
● Staff members from
historic sites across North Carolina 
will share fascinating facts. Talk with representatives from the Charlotte
Hawkins Brown Museum, Latta House Foundation, Somerset Place State Historic
Site, W.E.B. DuBois Community Development Corp., and other sites.

Mark your calendar for the African American Cultural Celebration. This event is
supported by AT&T and the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County ,
with funds from the United Arts campaign as well as the North Carolina Arts
Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes a great nation
deserves great art.
For more
information, call 919-807-7900 or access ncmuseumofhistory.org or Facebook. 
# # #
The N.C. Museum of
History’s hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon
to 5 p.m.Admission is free. The museum is part of the Division of State
History Museums, Office of Archives and History, an agency of the N.C.
Department of Cultural Resources. The department’s Web site is www.ncculture.com.

Emily D. Grant,Youth
Programs Coordinator
North CarolinaMuseumof History
5 E. Edenton Street   Raleigh , NC   27601
www.ncmuseumofhistory.org
Phone:919.807.7979  Fax: 919.733.8655
NEWEmail:emily.grant at ncdcr.gov

E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the
North Carolina Public Records Law "NCGS.Ch.132" and may be disclosed
to third parties by an authorized state official.

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