Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge Orchestra, violist to pay tribute to trailblazing black, African American composers

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Derek Reeves

The Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra with special guest violist Derek Reeves will pay tribute to trailblazing black and African American composers in Musical Firsts on Sunday.

The concert is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. Sunday, February 9, in the Historic Grove Theater at 123 Randolph Road in Oak Ridge. Tickets are available at ORCMA.org, by phone at (865) 483-5569, or at The Ferrell Shop in Jackson Square. Tickets are also available at the door. Prices are $25 for adults, $10 for young adults ages 19-29, and free for youth 18 and younger through the Penny4Arts initiative.

The orchestra will perform music by acclaimed composers Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, William Grant Still, Daniel Bernard Roumain, and Jessie Montgomery. Reeves, the soloist, will be featured in the music by Still and also the “Viola Concerto” by Georg Friedrich Telemann before leading area viola students in a master class, a press release said.

“I’ve known Derek since he was a talented undergraduate student at Indiana University,” said Music Director Dan Allcott. “Now a seasoned professional, Derek belongs to that special category of musicians who has the ability to cross multiple boundaries and musical genres to engage all audiences. Oak Ridgers are in for a treat.”

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‘Atomic Integration,’ photo exhibit on African-American life in Manhattan Project, opens Friday

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Photo by Ed Westcott via National Park Service

Photo by Ed Westcott via National Park Service

 

In honor of Black History Month, the Oak Ridge History Museum will host “Atomic Integration,” a photography exhibition focusing on African-American life during the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, a press release said.

The exhibit will open on Friday, February 8, and it will be open every Friday and Saturday during the month of February, the press release said.

The photo exhibit was developed under sponsorship by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, and Explore Oak Ridge.

The images that will be displayed in the photo exhibit illustrate the experiences and contributions of African-Americans during the Manhattan Project period during the 1940s in Oak Ridge, the press release said. [Read more…]

Anderson County Democratic Party celebrating Black History Month tonight

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Ebony Capshaw

Ebony Capshaw

 

The Anderson County Democratic Party will celebrate Black History Month at its meeting and potluck from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, February 22, at the Claxton Community Center, a press release said. The guests will include a candidate for Anderson County trustee.

Everyone is encouraged to bring a main dish, side dish, or dessert to share for the potluck, the press release said.

“However, as always, all are welcome, and bringing food is optional,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Free West African drum, dance performance at ORAU on Thursday

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The public is invited to see the Austin-East High School Drum and Dance Ensemble in recognition of Black History Month at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Pollard Auditorium at ORAU. The free West African drum and dance performance is presented by the ORAU Diversity Council. (Submitted photo)

The public is invited to see the Austin-East High School Drum and Dance Ensemble in recognition of Black History Month at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Pollard Auditorium at ORAU. The free West African drum and dance performance is presented by the ORAU Diversity Council. (Submitted photo)

 

There is a free West African drum and dance performance at ORAU in Oak Ridge on Thursday in recognition of Black History Month. The performance will feature the Austin-East High School Drum and Dance Ensemble, and the public is invited.

The performance is presented by the ORAU Diversity Council, and it’s scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, February 15, in Pollard Auditorium at 210 Badger Avenue in Oak Ridge.

“Focusing on the culture of traditional West African drum and dance, Austin-East students in grades 9-12 have the opportunity to learn not only West African dance but also ballet and modern as part of their performing arts program,” a press release said. “Austin-East students have performed at many venues, including University of Tennessee sports halftime shows, Knox County Schools and other schools in surrounding counties, and the Tennessee Valley Fair, to name a few. The ensemble has been in existence since 1999.”

This press release was submitted by Amy Schwinge.

Weaver presents program on African-American involvement in Manhattan Project to Oak Ridge youth

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On February 22, in honor of Black History Month, Rose Weaver, in conjunction with Manhattan Project National Historical Park, presented an informative program on African-American involvement in the Manhattan Project and the creation of the “Secret City.” (Photo courtesy Manhattan Project National Historical Park)

On February 22, in honor of Black History Month, Rose Weaver, in conjunction with Manhattan Project National Historical Park, presented an informative program on African-American involvement in the Manhattan Project and the creation of the “Secret City.” (Photo courtesy Manhattan Project National Historical Park)

 

On February 22, in honor of Black History Month, Rose Weaver, in conjunction with Manhattan Project National Historical Park, presented an informative program on African-American involvement in the Manhattan Project and the creation of the “Secret City.”

Weaver is an active member of the Oak Ridge community and has a passion for preserving the history of the African-American presence since the city’s inception, a press release said. During the past 15 years, Weaver and her late brother, Terry Weaver, have been gathering oral histories and artifacts for a traveling exhibit to tell the stories of the rich history of Oak Ridge and to share with area youth.

She gave her program to a group of 20 young girls at Girls Inc. in Oak Ridge, the press release said. The girls are participating in a year-long educational program called Parks in Focus. The goal of the program is to educate the youths about the natural/cultural history of the area as well as basic photography skills. [Read more…]

‘Atomic Integration,’ photo exhibit on African-American life during Manhattan Project, opens Feb. 23

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African American Post Office 1940s (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

African American Post Office 1940s (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

 

In honor of Black History Month, the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce will host “Atomic Integration,” a photography exhibition focusing on African-American life during the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, a press release said. The month-long exhibit will open on Thursday, February 23, with a reception starting at 4:30 p.m.

The photo exhibit is sponsored by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, and Explore Oak Ridge.

The images displayed in the photo exhibit illustrate the experiences and contributions of African-Americans during the Manhattan Project period during the 1940s in Oak Ridge, the press release said. [Read more…]

Vietnam vet performs ‘Buffalo Soldiers of American West’ at ORAU Thursday

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Buffalo Soldiers of the American West at ORAU

A Vietnam veteran will perform “The Buffalo Soldiers of the American West” at ORAU’s Pollard Auditorium on Thursday.

The public is invited to this free event, which celebrates Black History Month, a press release said.

The performance will be presented by William “Bill” Valentine. He is a Vietnam veteran who served in South East Asia for one of his four years in the United States Air Force.

The show will provide an entertaining lecture on the first African American soldiers to serve during the peacetime that followed the Civil War, the press release said. [Read more…]

2014 Blacks in Government scholarship luncheon Thursday

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In celebration of Black History Month, the Oak Ridge Chapter of Blacks in Government (BIG) is sponsoring the 20th Annual BIG Scholarship Luncheon from 11-1 p.m. Thursday at the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

Keynote speaker Derrick Johnson will speak on the 2014 Black History Month theme “Civil Rights in America.”

Johnson serves as state president for the Mississippi State Conference NAACP, and executive director of One Voice, Inc. He recently served as a Mel King Community Fellow with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has a Juris Doctorate from South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas, and a bachelor’s degree from Tougaloo College in Jackson, Miss. Johnson serves on the NAACP national board of directors, the boards of the Mississippi ACLU and the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, and on the Advisory Council of the Mississippi Economic Policy Center. Additionally, he was appointed by the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court as a commissioner to the Mississippi Access to Justice Commission. [Read more…]

Clinton Library offers free programs in February

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Submitted

The Clinton Public Library will be offering a variety of free programs in the month of February in addition to its regular programming. These programs include classes for adults, a Valentine’s Party for teens, and an exhibit for the entire family.

On Monday, Feb. 3, the library will offer a Valentine’s-themed craft class at two times: 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Adults and high-schoolers are invited to join Janie Wolfenbarger in making a heart-shaped paper wreath, the perfect homemade gift for the Valentine in your life. Limited seating is available for these classes, so register today by calling the library at (865) 457-0519.

A free Computer Basics Class will be offered by the library on Friday, Feb. 28, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. This class will teach a basic understanding of computer hardware and peripherals, Microsoft Office, Adobe Reader, the Internet, and search engines. There are only eight seats available for this class. To reserve your seat, call the library at (865) 457-0519. [Read more…]

Pic: ORNL Black History Month

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Black History Month at ORNL

Pictured above are, standing, Avon Rollins, director of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, and Jim Little, participant in the 1963 March; and, seated, are Helen Ashe, Love Kitchen director and founder, and Ellen Turner, Love Kitchen manager. They shared their thoughts on the 1963 March on Washington at ORNL’s Black History Month celebration event. (Photographer: Curtis Boles)

The theme of this year’s Black History Month activities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is “At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington.”

The lab had a Black History Month speaker event last week.

Proceeds from this year’s activities, including a soul food tasting, are being donated to the Love Kitchen. The committee presented a check for $3,000 to the Love Kitchen, and donations are still coming in, ORNL said.

Professor to give keynote address at Oak Ridge BIG Scholarship Luncheon

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Cheryl "Shelly" T. George

Cheryl “Shelly” T. George

In celebration of Black History Month, the Oak Ridge Chapter of Blacks in Government is sponsoring the Annual BIG Scholarship Luncheon on Thursday, a press release said.

It’s scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

The keynote speaker will be professor and author Cheryl “Shelly” T. George. She will discuss the 2013 Black History Month theme “Honoring Freedom: 150 Years after the Emancipation Proclamation and 50 Years after the March on Washington.”

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