Black History Month Celebration Day: A Salute to Black Excellence

Join us for a Black History Month Celebration at the Memorial Art Gallery! This year’s event, A Salute to Black Excellence: 100 Years of Celebrating Black History, will honor the 100th anniversary of Negro History Week, first initiated by Carter G. Woodson in 1926. Come experience jazz, the blues, hip hop and more in the Pythodd Tribute Music Lounge. With something for everyone, celebrate with us through storytelling, dance and vocal performances, art making and more!

Schedule of Events

Vanden Brul Pavilion

Kuumba Café: Master of Ceremonies: Delores Jackson Radney & Alexandria Brown

12:15–12:30 pm—Welcome & Opening Remarks; Lift Every Voice & Sign with Gaya Shakes
12:30–12:45 pm—Tribute to Carter G. Woodson and a Call to Action with Dr. Arlette Miller Smith
1:00 pm—Black Excellence Award Presentation & Tribute to Luvon Sheppard
1:15–2:00 pm—Hip Hop/Neo Soul with DJ. BacSpin of The Beat 105.5 & Perfromance by the Divine Line Dance

M&T Bank Ballroom

Pythodd Tribute Music Lounge: The Pythodd was Rochester’s Jazz Music Club on the famous Chittlin’ Circuit

2:00–3:00 pm—Celebrating Blues with Doug Curry, host of Blacks & Blues 88.5, with singer Alexandria Brow
3:00–4:00 pm—Jazz 90/1 with Derrick Lucas, voted #1 Rochester DJ, and dancing with Nicolette Ferguson & dancers

Auditorium

1:30–2:15 pm—From Negro History Week to Black History Month: Excavating Black History Through Black Family Stories: An Interactive Workshop led by writer Rachel Y. DeGuzman
2:15–3:15 pm—Legends movie by Richard McCoullough (Film features local legends Dr. David Anderson, Connie Mitchell, and Dr. Walter Cooper)

Bausch & Lomb Parlor

12:00–3:30 pm—Make It & Take It Art Project: “Stitched Stories”
Tell your story and share messages of empowerment through this hands-on paper quilt square activity led by Ivy Phillips and MAG’s Creative Workshop Teaching Artists

In the Galleries

Guided Tours* of Black Artists and Images in the MAG Collection

12:30–1:30 pm—MAG Highlights Tour | Docent Led
1:30–2:00 pm—Guided Tour with Unique Fair
2:00–2:30 pm—“Mini” MAG Tour | Docent Led
3:00–3:30 pm—“Mini” MAG Tour | Docent Led
3:00–3:30 pm—Guided Tour with Pat Jones & Unique Fair

* For all Guided Tours, please meet at the Admissions Desk

Brown Hound Downtown

10:00 am–3:00 pm—Restaurant hours
Serving up the best brunch in Rochester! Enjoy live music and a special menu (chicken wings, Bake Mac & Cheese, Turkey Collard Greens) for today only!

Celebration Series is sponsored by the MAG Council, with additional support from the Robert and Madeleine S. Heilbrunn Memorial Fund.

MAG would like to extend a special thank you to Kuumba Consultants and Delores Jackson Radney for their leadership in planning this special event.

Additional thanks to the Community Planning Committee members who share their time and talents with us today: Alexandria Brown, Damali Underwood, Derrick Lucas, DJ. BacSpin, Doug Curry, Ivy Clark, Gaya Shakes, Marilynn Patterson Grant, Pat Jones, Rachel Y. DeGuzman, Shawn Dunwoody, and Unique Fair.