4th Annual Mystic Celebration Of Black History Month Coming Up

Press release via Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce

STONINGTON, CT — February is Black History Month and the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Mystic & Noank Library and Booker Empowerment, LLC, are presenting our fourth annual Mystic Celebration of Black History Month Program.

The celebration kicks off on Saturday, February 8 at 9:00 a.m. by the Mystic flagpole where Connecticut’s 17th State Troubadour, Nekita Waller, will perform the Black National Anthem (Lift Every Voice and Song). That will be followed by a march up to Union Baptist Church for a morning of song, dance, speakers and high school panel discussion.

The program at Union Baptist Church will be hosted by Kevin Booker, Jr. and include performances by drummer Leonard Epps, Blooming into Greatness Children’s Dance Group, Rehoboth Gospel Choir and Nekita Waller. Guest Speakers include Marvin Espy, a significant contributor to the art world whose sophisticated cityscapes and vibrant abstracts have garnered attention in esteemed venues across Charlotte, North Carolina, and have been featured in prominent publications throughout Connecticut; Shamare Holmes, Manager of Community Relations, Connecticut Sun; Rod Coleman, former Mystic Bridge Tender and Children’s Author; and Levi Nichelson, accomplished music and arts educator and director at the CREC Ana Grace Academy of the Arts Elementary School in Bloomfield, CT.

More Than Words is a group of student leaders from Fitch High School, Ledyard High School, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, and the New London High School Multi-Magnet Campus. The mission of More Than Words is to promote respect for diversity, facilitate communication, and build trust among members of our community. Meetings are held throughout the school year with the goal of developing a group able to respond to crises, working proactively to prevent problems, and celebrating diversity. Each year the group presents workshops at local schools to promote justice and respect for others. Student participants from Ledyard, New London, Groton and Mashantucket will have a panel discussion, the topic being Celebration of Black History from a youth perspective.

Bruce Flax, Mystic Chamber President, said “The Mystic Chamber is proud to have the Celebration of Black History month enter its fourth year with a program at the Union Baptist Church that includes performances, speakers and a high school panel discussion. It is so important to hear from the youth in our region.”

This event would not be possible without the generous donation of the facility by the Union Baptist Church and the sponsorships from the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, Eversource Energy, 85th Day Food Community, Chelsea Groton Savings Bank, Breezeline, V Bottomless Solutions, and Mystic Seaport. This event is free and open to the public.

For the morning program at Union Baptist Church please park at the Church, 119 High Street, Mystic CT.