The city of Smyrna will host its first-ever Black History Month celebration next weekend.
The celebration will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Feb. 15, at Smyrna’s Community Center.
The city’s event will include performances by students from Campbell Middle and Pebblebrook High schools, dance groups, singers, gospel choirs and speeches from U.S. Rep David Scott and Dr. Archie W. Ervin, vice president of the Institute Diversity, Equity, Inclusion at Georgia Tech.
City Councilman Lewis Wheaton, who spearheaded the event with Mayor Derek Norton, said it will also feature vendors from the community.
“I think one of the cool things about this event is that people are totally supportive of it,” Wheaton said. “There’s a lot of energy and enthusiasm about something like this in Smyrna.”
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The Smyrna Public Library, which has hosted Black History Month programs for several years, has a schedule of events planned throughout February. An exhibit celebrating black art from Covenant Christian School students will be on display in the library’s reading room.
From noon to 4 p.m. on Feb. 14, the library will host a brown bag book discussion on Zora Neale Hurston’s “Barracoon,” which documents the story of a former slave who was captured in West Africa and brought to the United States in 1860 — more than 50 years after importing slaves was outlawed.
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For the children, storyteller Gloria Stowers will focus on the talents and contributions of black female leaders in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 27.
Wheaton said the city’s event is not only about recognizing past accomplishments, but also reflects “what we can all do collectively to recognize contributions of black people in the city.”
“That’s really what our emphasis is here,” he said.
Norton added he’s excited about what’s in store for the program.
“It’s a huge part of our history in Smyrna and I want to highlight it and celebrate it,” he said.
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