While the representation of Black artists in all fields has become more of a year-round phenomenon both locally and nationally in recent years, Black History Month provides an occasion for a particularly wide range of cultural programming on the East End.
The Eastville Community Historical Society and LTV Studios in Wainscott have joined forces to present two multimedia lectures in February, both produced by St. George Living History Productions.
The first, "Groundbreaking Black Comedians," set for Saturday at 7 p.m., will celebrate the pioneering contributions of Godfrey Cambridge, Redd Foxx, Dick Gregory, Flip Wilson, Nipsey Russell, Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby, and Eddie Murphy. The second, "The Sidney Poitier Story," will happen on Feb. 25 at 7.
For 35 years, Sal St. George has created multimedia presentations about dozens of cultural icons and events, ranging from "Child Stars of Hollywood" to Lucille Ball to Joseph La Roche, a Haitian engineer who, with his wife and children, was aboard the doomed Titanic, the only Black family on the ship.
St. George is also a writer. "Running Scared, Running Free," his one-act play about the Underground Railroad, connected him with Georgette Grier-Key, the executive director of the Eastville Community Historical Society.
The play has been widely performed, including at Eastville. "That's how I met Sal," said Dr. Grier-Key. "I wanted to see how respectfully they are portraying information that can sometimes be insensitive. I think they do a wonderful job. They thoroughly research, they have the best actors. It was a no-brainer to put them in touch with LTV."
Of the comedians, she said, "I think they are not often talked about." She recalled watching Foxx on television, and having cousins who lived a few doors away from Mr. Murphy in Baldwin before he became famous. "I think about Dick Gregory, who was an activist as well as a comedian. A lot of these comedians are unsung heroes."
Speaking of the Poitier program, Mr. St. George said he'd known, of course, about the actor's accomplishments, but "when you start doing research on somebody's life there are so many great details that come out that you can share with other people."
The program celebrates the life of Poitier, "who left his home in the Bahamas at the age of 14 and evolved into a cultural icon, a great entertainer, an actor, a film director, an entrepreneur, and a respected human and civil-rights activist."
The lectures, which are roughly an hour long, include videos and clips. His intention, said Mr. St. George, is to make each one not only educational but entertaining. Both programs are free and will be followed by discussions with Mr. St. George and Dr. Grier-Key.
In Sag Harbor, the Bay Street Theater will host a performance by That Motown Band as a benefit for The Butterfly Effect Project on Feb. 24. BEP serves primarily Black, biracial, multiracial, and Latina girls, ages 6 to 18, in Riverhead, Brookhaven, Southold, Southampton, and beyond. Its mission is "to empower, enlighten, and enhance every girl's future . . . by eliminating one obstacle at a time." It has 20 chapters throughout Suffolk County.
"As a Black-led and Black-founded nonprofit on the East End, we often struggle with funding and equitable opportunities," said Tijuana Fulford, BEP's executive director, in an email. "Hosting an event at Bay Street Theater not only enables us to fulfill our mission by creating equitable opportunities but also will deliver high-quality results. The opportunity enables us to bring our work to a different platform and broaden our base -- an incredible opportunity."
Tracy Mitchell, Bay Street's executive director, said that "Bay Street Theater seeks to provide affordable access to our stage for a broader array of community partners such as The Butterfly Effect Project. We recognize that expansion of these types of partnerships serve as catalysts for change and we feel strongly about serving the needs of our partners."
In addition to the performance by That Motown Band, the event will include a 50/50 raffle, a merchandise table of Butterfly Effect goods for sale, and two signature drinks. Tickets are $65.
Also at Bay Street, "Afrofuturism," an exhibition organized by Dr. Grier-Key and Michael A. Butler, a Sag Harbor artist, will open with a reception on Feb. 10 from 2 to 5 p.m.
"Afrofuturism reimages an alternate reality, reinterprets a distressed past, reclaims the resiliency of people from the African Diaspora, and presents a future of liberated expressions through art, music, literature, film, fashion, and space," says Dr. Grier-Key.
The exhibition will include work by Judith Henriques-Adams, James P. Ward, Dr. Nichelle Rivers, and Mr. Butler.
"Black Joy," a Zoom presentation celebrating Black history, will bring together Dr. Grier-Key and Brenda Simmons, the founder of the Southampton African American Museum, on Wednesday at 7 p.m. A Zoom link is on the calendar of Bridgehampton's Hampton Library website or by calling the library at 631-537-0015.
Hamptons Jazz Fest has two concerts lined up. The Gregory Lewis Organ Monk Trio will perform at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill next Friday at 6 p.m. A mainstay of New York City's jazz, blues, and funk scenes, Mr. Lewis was named one of the Top 5 Rising Stars on organ in DownBeat magazine's 64th annual critics poll.
The Azar Lawrence Quintet will be at the Southampton Arts Center on Feb. 17. Before turning 20, Mr. Lawrence performed with the Ike & Tina Turner Band, and subsequently played with Elvin Jones, John Coltrane's drummer, for three and a half years. He has written and/or performed with Busta Rhymes, Roberta Flack, Earth Wind & Fire, and Marvin Gaye.
Nile Harris, a performer and director of live works of art, will speak at The Church in Sag Harbor on Feb. 17 about his research into the life and legacy of Buddy Bolden, an early jazz cornetist who was institutionalized at a mental hospital from 1907 until his death in 1931. The program is part of Mr. Harris's development of "minor b," an interdisciplinary performance piece that considers how madness has been canonized within Black performance throughout history.
Other programs marking Black History Month include the 16th annual African-American Read-In, hosted by Canio's Cultural Cafe, the Eastville Community Historical Society, and the John Jermain Memorial Library. Readers can sign up at [email protected] to read a short excerpt from a favorite work by an African-American writer. The event will happen on Feb. 15 at Canio's Books in Sag Harbor.
In Springs, the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center has scheduled Zoom workshops that will celebrate Black cultural history, focusing on three artists, Alma Thomas, Jack Whitten, and David Driskell. Details are on the study center's website.
Finally, in a family-based presentation, the Sag Harbor Cinema will screen "Celebrating Black Stories," a program of short films from the New York International Children's Film Festival, on Feb. 10 and 11.
