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■ Library, museums, theatre company & others present special events: movies, lectures, debates & more
BY JASON MCKINNEY
In 1926, Black History Month was born (as “Negro History Week”) to celebrate the contributions and achievements of great Americans, past and present. February was chosen because Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln were both born in that month.
There are many ways to honor those who came before us, and the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, 2401 Welton, offers the most expansive offerings in February.
PHOTO BY JEFF HERSCH
BLACK HISTORY CAME ALIVE at the Colorado History Museum, 13th & Broadway, at a special exhibit for Black History Month last year.
The library’s free Black History Film Series will run on Mondays, Feb. 1, 8 & 22, with all screenings beginning at 6 pm. The schedule:
2/1: Glory. The 54th Mass-achusetts Volunteer Infantry was one of the first formal units of the US Army to be comprised of African American men. This Oscar-winning film from 1989 is based on the letters of Robert Gould Shaw during the American Civil War. Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman star.
2/8: Buck and the Preacher. After the Civil War, Buck, (Sidney Poitier, who also directed) helps freed slaves migrate west. The task is not easy as they face many challenges along the way. Buck meets up with the Preacher (Harry Belafonte), a reformed thief who befriends him.
2/22: Race to Freedom: The Story of the Underground Railroad. Set just before the Civil War, four slaves escape a plantation and start out on a dangerous journey for Canada. Fortunately, the four discover the “Underground Railroad,” the famous network of whites and free blacks who sheltered, fed, and helped fleeing slaves evade authorities.
Blair-Caldwell is also offering a wide variety of other activities throughout the month, including “Black History Live,” a re-enactment concerning Abraham Lincoln’s spot in history, and a couple of talks.
The Colorado Endowment for the Humanities will present “Black History Live” at the library Feb. 3, 6-7:30 pm, featuring Hasan Davis. The actor will portray Angus Augustus Burleigh, a 19th-Century ex-slave, soldier and scholar who became an acclaimed educator and minister. Davis will interact with the audience as Burleigh. Davis is also a noted Kentucky poet, scholar, storyteller, youth advocate, and Chautauquan.
Saturday, Feb. 6, 2-3:30 pm, the Blair-Caldwell will host a debate between students from Metro State College of Denver concerning whether Lincoln was the Great Emancipator or did he have glory forced upon him?
Along similar Lincolnian lines, Dr. Derrick Hudson, assistant professor of African & African American Studies at Metro State, will present “Lincoln: the Escalating War & the Slavery Question,” concerning the tensions Lincoln had to wrestle with as he considered the institution of slavery and the emancipation. The lecture, set for Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 6:30 pm, will attempt to raise awareness of “both the moral and economic dimensions about slavery and Lincoln’s role.”
Friday, Feb. 12, 4-5 pm, the library will present “Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln,” a celebration of the 16th president’s birthday. Al LaCabe, the city’s Manager of Safety, will present the Gettysburg Address as well as Lincoln’s second inaugural speech. There will also be a performance by The Sojourners, an ensemble of The Spirituals Project. Light refreshments will be served.
In addition to these events the Blair Caldwell is continuing its exhibit, “Lincoln: The Constitution & the Civil War,” until Feb. 12. The exhibition and all other events are free and open to the public. Call 720-865-2401 or visit aarl.denverlibrary.org for more information.
The Colorado Historical Society (CHS) will also present several events and talks in recognition of Black History Month.
Breaking Away, to be presented Feb. 20 at 1 pm, is a recreation of an historical event from the 1908 Democratic National Convention in Denver presented by students from the Denver School of the Arts.
The Negro National Anti-Taft League Rally was the first attempt by an organization to handle the internal strife within the Republican Party by persuading black men to vote Democrat.
The strife was brought about because of Lincoln’s assassination, the dishonorable discharge of 167 black soldiers in Brownsville, Texas, and various other events that brought tensions to a head.
The play will be performed at the Colorado History Museum, 13th & Broadway. It is free and open to the public, although a donation of $5 is suggested.
The CHS will also present “From Outer Space to Creative Space,” the story of Ed Dwight’s transition from America’s first black astronaut candidate to nationally-renowned sculptor.
Meet Dwight Feb. 20 at 2 pm and hear about his exploits as a former Air Force test pilot, astronaut candidate, computer systems engineer, aviation consultant, restaurateur and real estate developer.
This will also be presented at the history museum. Those further interested in Dwight can take a behind-the-scenes tour of his studio the next day (Feb. 21), 1-3 pm.
His gallery, housed in a refurbished airplane hangar at Stapleton, is where he creates works that “honor the African American experience” in museums and collections across the country, including the Smithsonian.
PHOTO BY JEFF HERSCH
BLACK HISTORY CAME ALIVE at the Colorado History Museum, 13th & Broadway, at a special exhibit for Black History Month last year.
Two recent works, one of then presidential candidate Barack Obama accepting his nomination at INVESCO Field during the Democratic National Convention and one of President Obama’s swearing-in ceremony in Washington, DC, will be on display in an exhibition entitled “The Inauguration of Hope,” at the museum Feb. 20-28. Dwight’s creations also include the MLK Memorial in Denver’s City Park.
Tickets for the tour are $15 for members and $25 for non-members. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 303-866-4686. Go to coloradohistory.org for further information about the events at the Colorado Historical Museum.
Also in recognition of Black History Month, the Shadow Theatre Company, 1468 Dayton, will present A Song for Coretta, a play described as follows:
“On February 6, 2006, people began lining up at dawn outside of Ebenezer Baptist Church to pay their respects to the late Coretta Scott-King, whose body lay in state inside. When a cold rain began to fall at sunset, those who had thought to bring umbrellas shared them. At close to midnight, the crowd had dwindled to a determined few; the five characters in this play are at the end of that long line of mourners.”
The play will run Feb. 11-March 14, with performances on Fridays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 2 & 7:30 pm and Sundays at 6.30 pm. Tickets are $18 and the matinee performances feature talk-back sessions with the cast. Call 720-857-8000 or visit shadowtheatre.com for more information.
As a finishing touch to the many options for observing Black History Month in Denver, The Stiles African-American Heritage Center, 2607 Glenarm, is premiering a brand-new exhibit about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Barack Obama.
“It shows the relationship between the thoughts of the two leaders and how the dream has become a reality,” said Grace Stiles, founder of the Heritage Center. “It involves a very thorough exhibit and examination of these two leaders.”
The exhibit is free and open to the public, but donations are always accepted by the non-profit museum. For more information, call 303-294-0597 or visit stilesheritagecenter.org.
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