Talks And Exhibits On Black History
Various aspects of the African American experience on the South Fork will be explored and celebrated during Black History Month in February. Activities will include discussions, an exhibit, a slide presentation, and a dance performance.
This month the John Jermain Library in Sag Harbor will feature a small exhibit on one of the East End's more intriguing pieces of history as well as one of the key events in the emancipation of black slaves in America - the Amistad revolt.
The exhibit is sponsored by the Eastville Community Historical Society, which will offer a special program and discussion on the revolt on Feb. 15. Quentin Snediker, the coordinator of a Mystic Seaport, Conn., project to build a replica of the Amistad schooner, will talk about the program from noon to 3:30 p.m. at the Christ Episcopal Church in Sag Harbor.
Slave Revolt
The Amistad, a Portuguese slave ship, was carrying a consignment of Sierra Leone natives to Cuba during the summer of 1839. Under their leader, Sengbeth, or Cinque, the 49 Africans mutinied, taking control of the ship and beginning a course that would eventually lead to the waters of Block Island Sound off Culloden Point in Montauk. After brief interactions with some South Fork residents, the Africans and their ship were taken into custody at gunpoint.
Their journey would continue, through the courts of pre-Civil War America, until eventually they were freed. The inspiring story of the Amistad group's struggle for freedom is the subject of Steven Spielberg's first film for DreamWorks, the new production company he started with two partners, including another part-time East Hampton resident, David Geffen.
Kathy Tucker, the historian of the Eastville Community Historical Society, will be busy during Black History Month. She was scheduled to speak on the society's quest for its own museum at a dinner Tuesday night at the East Hampton Town Senior Citizens Center, sponsored in part by the town's Youth Services division.
Varied Experiences
On Monday, Ms. Tucker will lead a panel discussion of the history of black communities on the East End beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Hall in Southampton. The talk, sponsored by the East End Chapter of the National Organization for Women, will concentrate on the varied experiences of African Americans here, from affluent summer residents to the year-round, born-and-raised East Enders, as well as the racial tensions they have faced.
In addition, Ms. Tucker will offer a slide presentation on the families of early Eastville, a predominantly African American section of Sag Harbor, on Feb. 22. Sponsored by the Eastern Long Island Branch of the National Association for the Ad vancement of Colored People, that event will be held at 1:30 p.m. at the St. David A.M.E. Church in Sag Harbor.
A monthlong program of activities at Southampton College will begin Wednesday with a discussion on "The Black Male Experience on a Predominantly White Campus." The talk, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in room 122 of the Montauk Building, will be given by Dr. Philip Johnson, a staff psychologist at New York University's Counseling Center.
African Heritage
Michael Jefferson, considered to be one of the most powerful voices on black radio in America, will be the keynote speaker for an African heritage celebration on Friday, Feb. 14, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the college's Fine Arts Theatre. His topic will be "Building Consciousness - Moving to Action."
The following day, Abou Mangara and Dalys Torres will tell the tale of their ancestors with music and percussion as part of a program on the oral tradition of African folklore, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Fine Arts Theatre. Workshops on "Understanding the Legacy of the African Heritage" and "Africa is Not a Country, It's a Continent" will be led by Yinka G. Stanford in the Fine Arts Theatre beginning at 1 p.m.
Also on Feb. 15, at 7 p.m., the Wanichigu (which means "our pride") Dance Company will give a performance, also in the Fine Arts Theatre. Tickets are $10 for the public and $5 for students with I.D. Also on Feb. 15, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and continuing Feb. 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be an African collective artists' expo featuring food, clothing, jewelry, books, furniture, and art, in the Fine Arts Center.
The Rev. Henry Faison of the Bridgehampton First Baptist Church will lead a spiritual unity day service, along with clergy from other East End African American churches, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Fine Arts Theatre on Feb. 16.
Cotton Club Visit
A trip to the famous Harlem nightclub the Cotton Club for dinner and dancing will take place on Feb. 22. The cost is $20 for students, $25 for nonstudents, and $45 for couples. Reservations can be made by calling the Spectrum of Unity, a student organization at the college.
Lastly, "African Womanism," the importance of women of color and their inclusion within the larger society, will be discussed by Dr. Denise M. Loew on Feb. 25.
Dr. Loew is the assistant principal of Riverhead High School. Her talk, sponsored by the Center for Cultural and Racial Diversity, another Southampton College student organization, will start at 7:30 p.m. in room 122 of the Montauk Building.