Black History Month To Be Celebrated In Union Co. With Music, Poetry

UNION COUNTY, NJ — As Black History month is coming up this February, the Union County Board of County Commissioners is hosting "Langston & Beethoven: Black & Proud" — a free evening of poetry and music exploring the life of poet and social activist Langston Hughes.

The event will feature WQXR Radio host Terrance McKnight on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 7:00 p.m. at the Union County Performing Arts Center, 1601 Irving Street, in Rahway.

The annual Chester Holmes Humanitarian Award will also be presented at the event.

"Langston & Beethoven: Black & Proud" is free of charge but seats must be reserved in advance. To reserve online visit ucnj.org/black-history-month.

"We are very proud to welcome Mr. McKnight back to Union County, to celebrate the beginning of Black History Month 2023 with our community," said Union County Commissioner Chairman Sergio Granados. "Langston & Beethoven: Black & Proud is an enlightening, enriching experience that reminds us of Union County’s deep connections to the great cultural movements of our past, and informs our understanding of the present."

Commissioner James E. Baker, Jr. added, "Black History Month is a time for rediscovering the literary voices of our nation’s past and refreshing our knowledge of the intricate cultural connections that informed their work. We thank Mr. McKnight for shining a new light on both Langston Hughes and Ludwig van Beethoven."

Commissioner Dr. Angela Garretson noted that Hughes lived in Westfield in the 1930's.

"Mr. McKnight provides a unique musical perspective on the creative threads that intertwine music and poetry from different eras, and we encourage everyone to come and enjoy this very special presentation," Garretson said,

This musical event was created byMcKnight, who is the speaker and narrator for the performance.

He has paired the poems of Langston Hughes with music by Beethoven, two commanding talents separated by a hundred years’ time and vastly different worlds. Each found inspiration and the spark of creativity in the universality of the other's art form. The evening will also include works by other composers.

Joining McKnight on stage are pianist Kyle Walker, oboist David Norville and vocalist Chauncy Packer.

McKnight regularly curates concerts and talks at Merkin Concert Hall, the Billie Holiday Theatre, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the Museum of Modern Art. He is also the creator of "A Langston Hughes Song Revival."

This will be Mr. McKnight’s fourth time returning to Union County to present high quality programming for Black History Month. A full orchestra version of "Langston & Beethoven: Black & Proud" will be presented at Lincoln Center in New York City in February.

This program is made possible by funds from the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

For more information about "Langston & Beethoven: Black & Proud" and other activities and programs of the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, visit ucnj.org/cultural, email culturalinfo@ucnj.org, or call 908-558-2550.