For Black people to only be like 6-8% of the population in Lubbock, we sure had a jam-packed Black History Month, 2024. The FocusLBK crew was run-ragged. Our “dogs is barkin’’, and our backs are hurtin’, but “we don’t feel no ways tired”!
In fact we feel refreshed and refilled. The cultural activities began on the 2nd, with Joy Harris’ intimate concert at the Lubbock Roots Historical Arts Council. Regrettably, we weren’t able to cover that event: we had a flat enroute, and didn’t feel comfortable riding around on our “donut”. No worries though, Mr. J. Leon Williams did livestream from the event.
Then, on Saturday, February 3rd, we were hit with a double dose of cultural goodness. First, Mr. Ricky Sherfield and his team sponsored the Black Business Expo. There was also a mixer the preceding day.
We mixed and mingled, and met many community members filled with the entrepreneurial spirit. (Try saying that five times fast!)
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Immediately following the Black Business Expo, Mr. Leon Williams, Mr. Wil Green, and Mr. Shaun Harris initiated us into the mysteries of Swahili culture, West Texas style, with the inaugural Kwanzaa Celebration.
You could feel the love and coziness that permeates ELBK, as the “Treacherous Three” led a program filled with grace, talent, and all seven of the Nguzo Saba, or seven principles of Kwanzaa.
And of course Mrs. Rose Wilson, being the eldest present, helped kick the show off in a way only she could:
By the way, If you’d like to learn more about Kwanzaa, check out the podcast we did with these three gentlemen.
Toward the middle of the month, we were delighted to attend The Martin and Music play, brought to the LBK by Mrs. Stephanie Johnson and The Edge Theatre crew.
Words can not adequately convey the uncanny sense we felt of being transported back to the Civil Rights Era as we watched and listened to Mr. Gerald C. Rivers and Mr. Charles Holt. The duo wove a sonic tapestry that encapsulated what it must have been like during those momentous times.
Martin and Music
It means something that Martin Luther King, Jr’s words are still present and powerful today, despite the fact that he was murdered over 50 years ago. We believe this is the result of at least two different currents. First, it seems apparent that MLK’s words
Then on Saturday the 24th, Theresa Wilson and the Patterson Library Crew put on the much anticipated 21st Annual African American History Month Program, and boy they did not disappoint!
The City of Lubbock provided coverage for the exquisite event, which highlighted the value of Generational Legacies. KLBK co-anchor Matt Stell expertly conveyed a stream of powerful speakers and performers.
If you weren’t able to attend, don’t worry. The City of Lubbock will soon post the full film. Subscribe to their YouTube Channel so you can be notified as soon as the video drops.
Speaking of the City of Lubbock, they also contributed some dope programming for Black History Month.
The City’s Communications and Public Engagement Department produced a series of videos in which four distinguished Lubbockites recount the importance of four Lubbock History Makers. In fact, the fifth and final video in the series will drop this coming Thursday, so again “smash that subscribe button” on their YouTube Channel.
Finally, Mr. Osagie Okoruwa, Director at The Innocent Convicts Project, put on a screening of his powerful documentary on Timothy Cole. This piece of cinema and the man behind it both deserve much more mention than we have space to provide in this article, but stay tuned, we plan to cover this subject in depth as soon as possible.
We’ve tried to present a brief history of Black History Month 2024 as we witnessed it. There were undoubtedly events that we missed, mostly because we’re merely a “few man crew.”
Nonetheless, we hope you had as much fun and fellowship as we did this month. And by the way, there are all kinds of good things coming to the LBK in March, too, so don’t sleep. Check these pages often, ‘cause you know we’ll be here with the info you need.
And as we look back on the month, one of the things that occurs to us is how there was such a continuous stream of activity from mid-January all the way through the end of February.
MLK’s Birthday really set the mood, and the East Lubbock community took that and ran, and didn’t let it fall nor flag all during February. We sincerely hope we can maintain this positive momentum throughout the rest of 2024 and beyond.
Knowing this community, we’re not too worried. They got it! Fade on out with some of this ol’ skool Hip Hop from the original “Treacherous Three”
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