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African American Cultural Celebration goes virtual

The 21st annual African American Cultural Celebration will be held virtually this weekend.

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21st Annual African American Cultural Celebration
RALEIGH, N.C. — The 21st annual African American Cultural Celebration will be held virtually on Saturday..

The annual event is usually held in person at the North Carolina Museum of History, but has moved completely online due to COVID-19.

The celebration serves as the official kick-off for Black History Month statewide and features organizations, authors, artists, musicians, filmmakers and scholars showcasing the contributions that African Americans have made to North Carolina’s history and culture.

This year's theme is "Black People – Green Planet: Environmental Justice" and will include stories of resilience and courage in response to environmental racism, from the fight against PCB dumping in Warren County in 1983 to the long history of Black farmers.

There are a range of topics being discussed throughout Saturday's event, including a talk with Harvey Walker about the integration of football at Western Carolina University.

Highlights include:

  • Sandra Dubose, award-winning motivational speaker, performing artist, and author
  • Cooking demonstrations by Food Network Chopped Champion Chef E. Marshall
  • A conversation with Jason Mott, National Book Award winner, author of Hell of a Book
  • Naeema Muhammad, Senior Advisor with the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network
  • Beer Migration: Harlem Brewery South with Celeste Beatty
All events will be live-streamed. Sessions are free but require advance registration. Attendance to some free events will be limited.

Events were scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. and run through 4 p.m., but have been pushed back an hour due to the threat of inclement weather. All online events will now stream from 11:30 a.m to 5 p.m.

On Friday, the first AACC Education Day will also be held virtually. It will feature members of the North Carolina Association of Black Storytellers and four workshops for students and educators.

Highlights of Friday's event include:

  • Pinkie Strother – an artist who creates miniatures that speak to Black history and community
  • Judy Allen Dobson – an author, librarian, and archivist. Her book, Escape from Hurricane Katrina, shares a story of a family in New Orleans during the category 4 hurricane Katrina.
  • Charlene Marshall – an entrepreneur who founded Charlene’s Naturals. She will share the history and legacy of natural hair.
  • Intisar Hamidullah – an educator who will share the history of environmental justice and its place in our communities today.

The celebration is presented by the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission and sponsored, in part, by the City of Raleigh.

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