Here in the United States February is dedicated to Black History Month. I grew up in a very multicultural part of London and looking back I think I was a bit sheltered and naive regarding racism. I was lucky enough to attend schools that regularly celebrated all cultures and embraced everything our different heritages had to offer. Our religious education classes covered a range of beliefs, and our home economics lessons were full of recipes from around the world. I was given the opportunity to play a steelpan in the school band. I didn’t realize at the time how lucky we all were, not knowing that the majority of kids around the (western) world were mostly being taught one narrative. A very whitewashed one.
I can’t imagine how non-white children feel, learning that their heritage is not worthy of the school curriculum. But also the thought of all kids not knowing about each other’s history, struggles and celebrations is horrifying. Fortunately things are slowly changing when it comes to education. I do believe that it is one of the most important ways for us all to be able to live in harmony. Only a handful of countries around the world dedicate a month to Black History. So do try to make the most of having this right on your doorstep.
LA has so many ways for us to celebrate the accomplishments of African-Americans in the United States. Below are a few that I have picked out, but if you do your own research online you will find lots of great stuff local to you.
Los Angeles Public Library is a good place to begin – they have a wide range of resources available online to commemorate and educate us on the importance of this month. You can learn about the history of the first African Americans who migrated to California and they have a whole section dedicated on ‘Building a Community: A Look at African American Institutions in Early Los Angeles’. They have a page featuring books, films, podcasts, music and more, highlighting the talents and achievements of African American artists and heroes. They also have a full calendar of events, both online and at various branches around town. Visit LAPL.org and sign up for a free library card if you don’t have one already.
On Saturday, February 18th the City of Pasadena will be hosting the 41st Annual Black History Parade & Festival. It is one of Southern California’s largest and longest running Black history parades and will feature guest speakers, live bands, community booths and dance performances. Visit this link for full details tinyurl.com/PasadenaParade2023.
On February 19th, the Open Arms Food Pantry and Resource Center present LA Black History Month Festival at the Michelle and Barack Obama Sports Complex. The event includes a book faire, Afrikan marketplace, live performances, workshops and available social services information, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. The emphasis on this year’s festival is on financial literacy and wellness. More info can be found at www.lablackhistorymonthfestival.com.
As I mentioned before there are a ton of other things happening around town – to make it even easier for you visit this link I shortened and it will take you to the listings found via a Google search – https://tinyurl.com/BHEVENTS2023.
Before I go I must all let you know that my Brits in LA partner Craig Young has some exciting news. His film ‘Wannabe: All Washed Up’ has been selected to be featured at the First Glance Film Festival in LA next month (March 16-19). It is a cracking film; a mockumentary following the life of a British popstar who comes to LA in the hopes of finding international fame and fortune. Those of you in the entertainment industry will be able to relate to the comedic scenarios and if you are not it will certainly give you an insight as to what goes on behind the scenes in Hollywood. Craig not only stars in it but he also co-wrote it along with the very talented Richard Keith. I know he would be delighted if you can go along and show your support. Early Bird All Access passes are currently discounted and can be snapped up for a limited time for $75 at FirstGlanceFilms.com and individual tickets will go on sale shortly. Watch this space…
If you want to get in touch you can find us across the main social media platforms and searching for @BritsinLA
Cheers!
Eileen
