BLYTHEWOOD – This year’s Blythewood Black History Event will happen Saturday, Feb. 29, and promises to be a departure from the town’s past black history programs, according to organizer Millie Whittaker.
“The theme this year, ‘The Journey: How did we get here?’ will focus on the historical journey of African-Americans through the impact of the African-American Church as the foundation and cornerstone of the black community. That journey included our pastors who have generally been seen as the leaders in our black communities,” Whittaker said.
The story will be told in a timeline through displays, exhibits, story-telling, drama, dance and music interspersed with cultural, social, political and economical happenings of the time period.
Whittaker, a member of Little Zion Baptist Church on Highway 321, said program participants will include Little Zion, Round Top Baptist Church, Macedonia Baptist Church, Calvary Baptist Church, Pine Grove Community Baptist Church, Zion Chapel Baptist Church #1, Bethel Baptist Church and Mount Zion Baptist Church.
“Instead of a featured speaker this year, we will have a moderator, radio personality Jamal Bates, who has a religious program on 95.3.
“A video will be shown about the history of Mt. Zion Baptist Church,” Whittaker said, but added, “it’s not just about Mt. Zion. All the black churches had similar beginnings and so I think the video is the story of all black churches.”
The black history recognition and celebration is sponsored by the Blythewood Historical Society in partnership with the African American Churches in Blythewood.
The program will be presented at Doko Manor from noon – 4 p.m.
