City of Fort Lauderdale Celebrates Black History Month
City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida - Venice of America
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City of Fort Lauderdale Celebrates Black History Month

Events and Programs Part of Yearlong Centennial Celebration

Shannon Vezina , Public Information Specialist
954.828.4743 or svezina@fortlauderdale.gov

Fort Lauderdale - The City of Fort Lauderdale honors Black History Month as part of the ongoing 2011 Centennial Celebration. A variety of free public events and educational programs throughout February offer residents and visitors a chance to participate in Black History Month and the yearlong Centennial Celebration.

Events

Kijiji Moja, Saturday, Feb. 19, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Join us for the return of Kijiji Moja at Joseph C. Carter Park, which is located at 1450 W. Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. Kijiji Moja means “one village” in Swahili. This event strives to unite communities and families by inviting them to free live performances, drumming circles, ethnic crafts and tribal storytelling. For more information on Kijiji Moja, please call (954) 828-5411 or visit www.fortlauderdale.gov/life.

Sistrunk Parade and Festival, Feb. 26, 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
The Sistrunk Parade and Festival, now in its 32nd year, promotes community partnerships and family-friendly activities to more than 300,000 visitors annually. This premier event along the Sistrunk Corridor features live local and national entertainment, food and arts and crafts.

The parade will begin at 8:30 a.m. at Mount Olive Baptist Church, which is located at 400 NW 9th Avenue. New this year, the event will include a “Sistrunk Festival Zone” with bounce houses, face painting, cotton candy, hotdogs, storytelling, entertainment, vendors and much more on NW 6th Street between NW 27th Avenue and NW 31st Avenue. For more information, call (954) 687-3472 or visit www.sistrunkfestival.org.

Exhibits

Two exhibits that honor Black History Month will be on display in the 1st floor lobby of City Hall through Feb. 28, 2011. City Hall is located at 100 North Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301.

The Centennial historical exhibit follows a chronological timeline to recount the rich history of Fort Lauderdale's African America community from the 1890s to present day. The exhibit combines themes from Debra Work's book, "My Soul is a Witness," with photos from the personal collections of local residents and the archives of the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society, Old Dillard Museum and the Broward County Historical Commission.

Also on display in City Hall is original artwork by Nzingah Oniwosan, a Haitian American artist who resides in Fort Lauderdale. In her exhibit, entitled "Beyond Black: The Proverb Series," Oniwosan utilizes pastels to create rich and vivid imagery based on evocative African sayings.

To view either exhibit currently on display, and a biography of Nzingah Oniwosan, visit www.fortlauderdale.gov/centennial/history.htm.

Initiatives

The City of Fort Lauderdale will participate in the 22nd National African American Read-In through its parks and recreation after school programs and will designate February as African American Read-In month, as part of its Black History Month celebration.

Sponsored by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English and National Council of Teachers of English, and endorsed by the International Reading Association, the goal of the 2011 African American Read-In is to document readers making the celebration of African American literacy a traditional part of Black History Month activities.

Schools, churches, libraries, bookstores, community and professional organizations, and interested citizens are encouraged to make literacy a significant part of Black History Month by hosting or coordinating Read-Ins in their local communities.

Hosting a Read-In can be as simple as bringing together family and friends to share a book, or as elaborate as arranging public readings and media presentations that feature African American writers. For more information, including a list of Read-Ins scheduled to take place in Fort Lauderdale, please call (954) 828-4742.

To learn more about the Centennial Celebration, visit the City for Fort Lauderdale website at www.fortlauderdale.gov or call the Centennial Celebration Committee staff liaison, Shannon Vezina, at (954) 828-4743.