Commemorate Black History Month at the Atlanta History Center
Each February the Atlanta History Center presents a variety of enlightening activities commemorating Black History Month. An assortment of family and educational programming, museum theater experiences, and exhibition displays allow visitors to discover and reflect upon the stories of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. With an emphasis on Atlanta and the Southeastern region, the museum explores key themes including struggles and strides, humanity and individual strengths, and outcomes that have paved the way to our nation as we know it today.
On Saturday, February 8, 2014 from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, the Atlanta History Center presents the family program Struggles and Strides: The Early Fight for Civil Rights.
Throughout the program guests explore the African American Experience from the Great Migration to the Civil Rights Movement. Engaging performances and interactive activities provide insight into stories of personal struggle and triumph. Learn how American culture was influenced through the writing, music, dance, and art of African Americans during this time period.
Admission is free to members; included in the cost of general admission for nonmembers. For more information about this program or to purchase admission tickets, please visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/Family.
Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of Fulton County Arts Council.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Walking Through the Valley: A Journey Towards Freedom, Woodruff Auditorium
11:30 pm and 2:30 pm
It is 1963. Attitudes about equality and justice are slowly shifting the American landscape, but change is not happening fast enough for many young people in the Civil Rights Movement. A young activist has been asked to alter the language in a speech he has written for, what will soon become, a historic event. He envisions a conversation with four historic freedom fighters in an effort to decide if a compromise with the "powers that be” will in fact serve a greater good.
Akbar Imhotep – Grand Overlook
1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, and 3:30 pm
Local actor/storyteller Akbar Imhotep brings to life two historical civil rights figures: Donald Lee Hollowell, civil rights attorney; and James Weldon Johnson, lawyer, song writer, poet, diplomat, and early Executive Secretary of the NAACP.
Grant Carter, Inman Chauffer Performance – Swan House
11:15 am, 1:15 pm, and 3:15 pm
Hear from Mr. Carter, the Inman family’s longtime chauffeur, as he shares his life story and experiences that led him to work for ones of Atlanta’s most celebrated families.
*Limited Space Available
Binah Lockett, Inman Maid Performance – Swan House
11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm, and 3:30 pm
Meet Binah as she explains what the duties of a domestic servant entail. Find out what goes on both upstairs and downstairs in one of Atlanta’s most famous homes, the Swan House.
*Limited Space Available
Freedom Ride – Nicholson Gallery
11:15 pm, 12:15 pm, and 1:15 pm
Do you have what it takes to be a Freedom Fighter? Guests are confronted with real-time decisions that require them to show courage, determination, and the discipline to stick together in a non-violent struggle.
* Limited Space
Harlem Renaissance Art Activity – Small Classroom
12:00 pm
Local artist Stephanie Lloyd demonstrates how to paint a beautiful Harlem Renaissance masterpiece that you will take home at the end of the activity.
* Limited Space
Crafts & Harlem Renaissance Activities – Exhibition Hallway
Ongoing
StoryCorps original animated Shorts – Kennedy Theatre
Ongoing
- Eyes on the Stars
On January 28, 1986, NASA Challenger mission STS-51-L ended in tragedy when the shuttle exploded 73 seconds after takeoff. On board was physicist Ronald E. McNair, who was the second African American to enter space. But first, he was a kid with big dreams in Lake City, South Carolina.
- A Family Man
In 1955, John L. Black, Sr. started his job as a janitor for the Cincinnati public school system. He regularly put in 16-hour days to provide for his wife and eleven children. At StoryCorps, his son Samuel talks with his wife, Edda Fields-Black, about his father's lasting legacy and the power of a look.
- Miss Devine
Cousins James Ransom and Cherie Johnson recall their formidable Sunday school teacher, Miss Lizzie Devine, the only woman who scared them more than their grandmother. Set in the small Florida town of the cousins' memories, this animation will have you laughing out loud as the cousins remember the fearsome Miss Devine.
StoryCorps is a national nonprofit whose mission is to provide people of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. For more information about StoryCorps, including booking your own appointment at StoryCorps Atlanta, at the Atlanta History Center visit www.storycorps.org.
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