Celebrations of Black History Month are sprouting throughout Waukegan and Lake County in February showcasing African American culture, and creating a sense of community through the performing arts.
Cory Ratliff, the senior co-pastor at Waukegan’s Sign of the Dove Church, emceed a showcase of dance, song, the spoken word and more, at the Waukegan Park District’s annual Black History Month Performance.
Long a melting pot of many cultures, Ratliff said sharing the talent of various performers from the Black community not only shows unique elements of its culture, but also brings unity to everyone.
“Bringing all of this together shows the nuances of our history through our performers,” he said. “We are celebrating Black History Month by showing the resilience of a community from where it came.”
The Park District’s celebration of Black History Month through the arts Saturday at the Jack Benny Center in Waukegan was one of the numerous events assembled by individuals and organizations throughout February around Lake County.
Along with the Park District, Waukegan Community Unit School District 60, the African American Museum at England Manor in Waukegan, Brushwood Center in Riverwoods and other organizations are holding Black history events.
“Black History Month is an opportunity for people to gather together and celebrate the rich and inspiring history of African Americans and the remarkable accomplishments that shaped our nation and the world,” museum founder Sylvia England said.
After a dance performance by ALATS Dance Company of Waukegan began the Park District’s event, poet Sharon Epps got the crowd going as she talked about a family cornbread recipe. Each time she raised her hand, the crowd responded by shouting, “Cornbread.”
Leslie Bracero, one of the two operators of Malanated Authors and a writer of illustrated children’s books, shared her story growing up with a single mother and grandmother. One thing was stressed.
“My mother said, ‘You will go to college, and it will be a Black college,’” she said. “I graduated from Tuskegee University. I was able to flourish there.”
Before and after the performances, Bracero sat at a table talking about her books and offering them for sale. An educator for more than 30 years, she said her books are meant to let children read stories and see pictures of youngsters who look like them.
“I want children to see themselves in the books,” Bracero said as she sat beside a display with books showing Black and Hispanic youngsters. “These are mirror or window books where the kids can see themselves.”
The Park District is also hosting a family movie night at 6 p.m. Friday at the Belvidere Recreation Center, Soul Food With Sylvia at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Jane Addams Center in Bowen Park, where England will share some of her recipes, and a concert by the Waukegan Symphony Orchestra at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Brookside campus of Waukegan High School.
Though District 60 focuses on teaching about different cultures throughout the year, Quinn Norman, an instructional coach for the E.P.I.C. Preschool Program, said there is a special focus on Black history in February.
Along with programs in each of the individual schools, Norman said there will be a districtwide celebration focusing on African Americans in Labor at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the high school’s Brookside campus.
Norman said the event will showcase people who have made significant contributions to work in America, including entrepreneurs, professionals, members of the military, self-help strategies, gains through organized labor and more. It is part of a national theme this year.
Featuring dance and music performances, speeches by Black community members and exhibits, Norman said the event will include a tribute to Black women who went to work in America’s factories as men joined the military to fight in World War II.
Taking her educational efforts beyond the Park District cooking event, England said she has helped arrange Black history displays this month at the Waukegan Public Library, the North Chicago Public Library, the Highwood Public Library and the Woodland Middle School Library in Gurnee.
In addition to arranging displays at the libraries, England is also offering a Black History program at 10 a.m. on Feb. 28 at the James A. Lovell Federal Healthcare Center in North Chicago.
The Brushwood Center in Ryerson Woods held both a culinary event and a Black History Month program on Sunday. The day started with the preparation of soul food which people were able to take into the performance, according to a Brushwood press release.
The Lake County branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) held a screening of “HUSH,” a documentary film on Black mental health Monday at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan. A panel discussion followed the movie, according to a NAMI press release.
