Stepping Out

Commemorating Black History Month

Activities and events celebrate African American culture and contributions

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The month-long celebration that is Black History month is filled with enriching experiences for all ages. Long Island, well-known to be an historical stop along the Underground Railroad, has several significant sites including churches, homes and museums that visitors can explore, along with special events and exhibits throughout the area. All offer a renewed appreciation and greater understanding of the African American experience.
Many of the region’s Underground Railroad sites are known conjecturally or through folklore and family legend because of the secretive nature of the enterprise, according to the New York State Heritage Commission.
Among the local sites worth a visit are:
Cedarmere in Roslyn Harbor, the historic property of prominent 19th-century poet, newspaper editor and civic leader William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878). This site includes the Bryant home and several other structures on the seven-acre property overlooking Roslyn Harbor. Cedarmere served as the rural Long Island home of Bryant from 1843 until his death in 1878. Bryant was an outspoken supporter of the anti-slavery movement. The estate was left to Nassau County to preserve as a memorial to Bryant.
Joseph Lloyd Manor House in Lloyd Harbor, where a privileged slave, Jupiter Hammon lived. Educated by the family he lived with, he became the first published black poet in the U.S. He also wrote “An Address to the Negroes of New York State” in 1787, seeking freedom for fellow slaves. Nearby is the Henry Lloyd House, where he was born in 1711.

Other historic sites include slave cemeteries on the grounds of the William Floyd Estate, an historic site open to the public in Mastic Beach, and the Tuthill slave cemetery in Orient.
To honor Black History Month, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Preservation celebrates with exhibits and paintings from some of America’s greatest black artists, as well as posters saluting black abolitionists, pioneers, scientists, educators, horticulturists, and ecologists. The exhibits are designed to educate visitors about the rich African American culture. Artworks are on display throughout February at various locations, including Jones Beach State Park and Planting Fields Arboretum. Admission is free.

Artistic Visions
At the African American Museum in Hempstead, Black History Month is being celebrated through special exhibits. One honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., showing photographs, letters and other documents relating to the civil rights leader’s life. The exhibit includes photos of Dr. King taken by Moneta Sleet, Jr., who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1969 for his photograph of Coretta Scott King at her husband’s funeral. Sleet, who was born in Kentucky but later resided on Long Island, died in 1996. The exhibit continues through March 31.
The second exhibit, features the photographs of Long Island-based photographer Phyllis Goodfriend, presented by the Long Island Center of Photography. “Sojourn in South Africa,” documents Goodfriend’s travels to South Africa in 2008. It remains on view through April 30.
At Nassau Community College, “Coming By Force, Overcoming By Choice,” is shown at NCC’s Firehouse Plaza Art Gallery, in collaboration with the African American Museum. A visual celebration of Black History through the eyes of contemporary African American artists, it can be viewed through March 10.
Adelphi University commemorates Black History Month with an exhibition featuring three-dimensional paintings by renowned artist Robert Carter. “Carter Light,” is on display through Feb. 23 in the Ruth S. Harley University Center Gallery. Carter is an accomplished draughtsman, painter, illustrator, designer, and art educator from Dix Hills. Most of his formal training moved through “fine art” typography. His first employment was as an artist was with WHAS-TV, Louisville (formerly a CBS affiliate), while in undergraduate school. After receiving his MFA from Pratt Institute, he began doing freelance illustration. Later in his career, these professional areas of interest merged with private studio efforts and evolved into “Carter Light.”
“The evidence of a society’s ethics, priorities, values, and lifestyle can usually be understood through its cultural enterprises,” Carter said in an artist’s statement. “The visual art venue is usually an exercise of reference to lofty concerns for religion, politics, or social issues. A good percentage of my art grows from very serious connections with social circumstances from the African American perspective. On the other hand, humor, charm, and nostalgia are important real segments of our psyche. Such delights I enjoy sharing visually.”
At Molloy College, the Long Island Black Artists Association presents a selection of work from its more than 150 members in the Art Gallery in Molloy’s Kellenberg Hall. A wide range of artwork is on display, including paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, and photography. The exhibit runs through March 31.

For The Kids
The culture and innovation of African-American life is explored through dance at the Long Island Children’s Museum theatre, Sunday Feb. 21, at 1 and 3 p.m. The Aspiring Young Artists Performing Arts Center of West Hempstead visits LICM with an exhilirating performance of dance styles from West Africa and the Caribbean. The A.Y.A. dancers aim to take audiences on a journey throughout cultural, historical and global contributions of the African Diaspora. Tickets are $4 with museum admission ($3 members). Tickets can be purchased at (516) 224-5801, until 4 p.m. the day prior to the performance.

On The Calendar
When and where to find Black History Month events

Thursday, Feb. 18
Topdog/Underdog: A dark comic fable of family identity, 7:30 p.m. Also Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 20-21, 2 p.m. The Pulitzer Prize-winning play tells the story of two siblings, entangled in a three-card monte con game. $15, $7 students. Adelphi University’s Black Box Theatre, 1 South Ave., Garden City. (516) 877-4000.

Sunday, Feb. 21
African American Inventors: Learn about the contributions of some famous African American inventors, 1-4 p.m. Create a memorable textured collage. All ages. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or www.licm.org.

Thursday, Feb. 25 
“Sistas on Fire”: A collaborative effort by three African American writers (NCC Professors Marcia McNair, Anissa Moore and Gail Haliburton), 8:30 p.m. Nassau Community College, College Center Building, Garden City. (516) 572-7376.

Friday, Feb. 26
Lecture: New York Historical Society’s Kathleen Hulser presents a program based on the exhibit Slavery in New York, 2 and 6 p.m. Hulser talks about slavery and its impact on the people, institutions, and economy of New York City, New York State, and the nation. Freeport Library, 144 W. Merrick Rd., Freeport. (516) 379-3274.

Lecture/Performance: Saxophonist Shenole Latimer presents “What’s All That Jazz About,” 12:30 p.m. Elmont Memorial Library, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. (516) 354-5280.

Saturday, Feb. 27
Readings: Ken Holiday reads the speeches of Frederick Douglass. African American Museum 110 North Franklin St., Hempstead. (516) 572-0730.

Lecture/Performance: Saxophonist Shenole Latimer presents “What’s All That Jazz About,” 2 p.m. Baldwin Public Library, 2385 Grand Ave., Baldwin
(516) 223-6228.

Sunday, Feb. 28
Concert: Adlib Steel Drum Orchestra, 2:30 p.m. The 16-piece steel drum orchestra delights the senses with the sounds of Caribbean music. Freeport Library, 144 W. Merrick Rd., Freeport. (516) 379-3274.

Spoken Word Performance: “Growing up Daddy” : A play about a young black man in a hospital waiting room contemplating the birth of a child. African American Museum, 110 North Franklin St., Hempstead. (516) 572-0730.