The University of Lynchburg will celebrate Black History Month with a series of events, starting Sunday, Feb. 1, with a concert by Richmond-based saxophonist J. Plunky Branch and his band, Oneness.
The show, “Still We Rise: The Dream, the Duty, and the Divine Legacy,” begins at 4 p.m. in Snidow Chapel.
Branch has released 30 albums through his independent label, N.A.M.E. Records. He and his band have performed with some of the legends of Black music, including Patti Labelle, Ray Charles, Earth Wind & Fire, LL Cool J, and others.
Plunky and his band have performed at the New Orleans World’s Fair, the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta, and the Capital Jazz Festival in Maryland, and they’ve appeared at Lincoln Center, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and other prestigious venues.
Admission is $15 for the general public; free for University of Lynchburg faculty, staff, alumni, and students; free for local K-12 students; and free for members of the Virginia Commission for the Arts and Virginia Department of Health Passport Program.
All attendees must have a ticket. Free and $15 tickets can be obtained via Eventbrite. Tickets also can be purchased with cash or check on the day of the concert.
Organizers are asking that those requesting free tickets obtain them via Eventbrite so the number of attendees can be known in advance. Also, Lynchburg students, faculty, and staff must bring their University ID cards to the performance.
A limited number of free tickets also are available for students from other local colleges. For these tickets, email [email protected].
Plunky & Oneness is presented by Amherst Glebe Arts Response in collaboration with the Lynchburg Arts Consortium of the University of Lynchburg. The event is partially funded by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
For more information about the concert, email [email protected].
Art Exhibition
“Love Quotes,” an exhibition of work by Alpha Massaquoi Jr., a Baltimore-based, Liberian charcoal and pastel artist. Massaquoi’s work is on display in the Daura Museum of Art through Thursday, Feb. 26. Admission is free.
The Daura’s hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. The museum is closed on weekends and during holidays and University breaks.
Readings/Recitations
“Still We Rise: African American Readings/Recitations” will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9, in Hall Campus Center’s Memorial Ballroom.
The event will feature Lynchburg students, faculty, and staff, and members of the wider community reading or reciting a three-to-five-minute piece by an African American author, writer, or artist. Admission is free.
‘Courageous Conversation’
On Thursday, Feb. 12, a “Courageous Conversation” with Dr. William Lewis will be held via Google Meet. The event, “Navigating Adversity with Purpose,” begins at 3:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend.
Lewis is founder of the diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting firm WillHouse Global and cofounder of The Intersection, where he advises organizations on “building cultures of courage, clarity, and belonging.”
He is senior consultant for inclusion and belonging at ECU Health and the award-winning author of “Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Pie: Conversations with My White Friends about Race” and “Perched in the Storm: Brutal Lessons in Resilience Every Leader Can Learn from Entrepreneurs.”
He is co-author of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education’s Standards of Professional Practice. In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he serves on the boards of Bookmarks, United Way, the Black Philanthropy Initiative of Winston-Salem, and Leadership Winston-Salem.
Lewis, who has a PhD in higher education administration and a master’s degree in social work, is “chief executive gopher” for Cam’s Coffee Co., a family-run social enterprise that employs people with disabilities. He also is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
Play
“If They Could Hear Us Now,” a play written by Desmond Mosby, will be presented in Schewel Hall’s Sydnor Performance Hall at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19. Admission is free.
The play is described as a “powerful, original stage performance that bridges past and present through story, movement, and voice — anchored in the central question, ‘What would our ancestors say if they could see and hear the world we live in today?’
“The production explores the tensions, triumphs, and unfinished work of justice, identity, and community.”
Blending spoken word, theatrical storytelling, and music by local talent, the show “invites audiences into a reflective dialogue between generations. Through layered narratives and evocative sound, the piece challenges viewers to consider how today’s choices shape tomorrow’s legacy.”
Mosby further describes the play as a “communal experience, honoring the voices that paved the way while calling the present generation to listen, respond, and rise.”
Gospel Concert
“Rise Up: A Gospel Experience” will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22, in Snidow Chapel. The gospel concert will feature Tanner Sharpe and the Prayer of Faith Temple choir. Admission is free.
Business Expo
Lynchburg’s African American Affinity Group will host its third annual business expo, Building Communities Through Partnerships, from 2-6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27. The event will be held in Hall Campus Center’s Memorial Ballroom.
Admission is free, the public is invited, and light refreshments will be served.
The purpose of the expo is to highlight locally-owned businesses and organizations. Vendors from Central Virginia are invited to promote their businesses or organizations and sell their products and services.
The cost to participate is $50 per table. Six-foot-long tables will be provided to vendors, along with a tablecloth and two chairs. All vendors are required to sign a waiver. Setup begins at noon. The deadline to register is Friday, Feb. 13. Participants can register here.
For more information about the business expo, contact Tracy McCray, AAAG chair, at [email protected] or 434.544.8251.
For more information about Lynchburg’s Black History Month events, contact Dr. Robert Canida II, chief inclusive excellence officer, at [email protected].
* Header photo of J. Plunky Branch by Robert Adamo.
