City of Roswell: 2021 Roswell Roots Event Brochure

2021

JANUARY 25-FEBRUARY 28 • ROSWELLROOTS.COM Roswell Roots celebrates National Black History Month through programs, events and activities focused on raising cultural awareness and engaging the community. art

Page 1: Cover About Roswell Roots and overall information Page 2: Art Page 3: Virtual Art/Photos Page 4: Education Page 5: Virtual Education Page 6: Entertainment Page 7: Virtual Entertainment Page 8: Speaker Series Page 9: Virtual Speaker Series Page 10: Local History Page 11: Local History Virtual Page 12: Back Cover-Partners

Rebirth: The Rise Through the Eyes of a Caribbean Woman The Artwork of Andrea McKenzie Artist Exhibit at Roswell Cultural Arts Center On Display February 1-28 / viewing by appointment Contact Donna Clayton: [email protected]

2 • ROSWELL ROOTS 2021 art The Artwork of Daniel Hodges, A Retrospective Art Exhibit in the Rotunda at Roswell City Hall On Display February 1-28, Monday-Friday, 9 AM-5 PM A month-long exhibit honoring the late Daniel Hodges.

virtual art Roswell Roots Arts Festival February 1-28, 2021 The Roswell Roots Arts Festival has gone virtual! Visit www.roswellrootsartsfestival.com to see a multitude of Black artists in celebration of creativity. Go shopping virtually and look through the works of many local and Metro-Atlanta artists.

COMPLETE EVENT LISTING AT ROSWELLROOTS.COM • 3 education Creative Workshops: The Work of Black Artists, in partnership with Paint Love Workshops available at Roswell Visual Arts Center and Art Center West Page 1: Cover About Roswell Roots and overall information various dates and times. Page 2: Art In each weekly session of this creative arts series, children will learn Page 3: Virtual Art/Photos about the life and work of Black artists and complete a creative project. Page 4: Education Paint Love’s unique model provides social emotional learning skills into Page 5: Virtual Education each project and incorporates a community-building element through the Page 6: Entertainment opportunity to contribute to a collaborative mural honoring Roswell Roots. Page 7: Virtual Entertainment Page 8: Speaker Series Page 9: Virtual Speaker Series Page 10: Local History Dancing and Drumming Page 11: Local History Virtual with Djoli Kelen Page 12: Back Cover-Partners Saturday, February 27

Dance class • 2 PM Drumming class • 3:30 PM East Roswell Recreation Center

4 • ROSWELL ROOTS 2021 The African Americans Inventors’ Exhibit education Wednesday-Saturday, February 17-20 • 10 AM-3 PM Osage Terrace Room at Bulloch Hall The African Americans Inventors’ Exhibit is a 26-item travelling exhibit that showcases inventions by several African-Americans displayed in alphabetical order. The exhibit exposes the visitor to various inventions by African Americans, it cultivates conversation about how these inventions impact our society today; it generates a desire for some to become entrepreneurs and it promotes new interest and an increased awareness of Dancing and Drumming inventions by African Americans. with Djoli Kelen Saturday, February 27 virtual education STEAM Careers: Your Opportunity for the Future Saturday, February 20, 11 AM-1 PM Roswell Roots and North Fulton Area Section, National Council of Negro Women, Inc. invite students to a STEAM workshop and competition. Students will gain an understanding of their personal career interests, current employment trends within the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, and college scholarship opportunities focused on these fields of study. Student Pitch Competition Sunday, February 28, 11 AM-2 PM

Dance class • 2 PM Phi Phi Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Roswell Drumming class • 3:30 PM Roots presents a high school student Pitch Competition to encourage, assist, and support students in effectively presenting themselves and their East Roswell Recreation Center ideas. Financial awards will be presented to competition winners

COMPLETE EVENT LISTING AT ROSWELLROOTS.COM • 5 entertainment

Epi.phony Roswell: An Evening with OkCello Saturday, January 30 • 7 PM • Roswell Cultural Arts Center Okorie “OkCello” Johnson is an American cellist-songwriter whose artistry integrates cello performance, live-sound-looping, improvisation, and storytelling – all culminating in original compositions that collide classical with jazz, EDM, reggae, and funk. His music is inspired by the exploration of African diasporic melodies and narratives and their intersection with people’s perceptions and assumptions about the classical and European nature of the cello.

Live stream option available 6 • ROSWELL ROOTS 2021 Storytelling with Babatunde Two shows available Saturday, February 13 • 10:30 AM East Roswell Recreation Center Saturday, February 27 • 10:30 AM Roswell Cultural Arts Center, Second Story Stage Using his vivid imagination, assistance from the audience, and rhythmic accompaniment from his magnificent djembes, Babatunde masterfully weaves stories laden with strong moral values, keen principles, adventure and fun. virtual entertainment

Soul Food Cypher Friday, February 5, 6:30 PM Spend an evening with Soul Food Cypher as they collectively showcase the craft and ingenuity of freestyle rap and spoken language. Soul Food Cypher combines freestyle and positivity to generate momentum for social consciousness and storytelling expression.

Live stream option available COMPLETE EVENT LISTING AT ROSWELLROOTS.COM • 7

speaker series Ilustrator and Author Mechal Roe Two Shows Available Saturday, February 6, 10:30 AM (book reading) Page 1: Cover About Roswell Roots and overall information Sunday, February 21, 3 PM (focusing on Page 2: Art illustration) Page 3: Virtual Art/Photos Roswell Cultural Arts Center Page 4: Education Mechal Renee Roe is the #1 New York Page 5: Virtual Education Times bestselling illustrator for the book Page 6: Entertainment Superheroes Are Everywhere written by Vice Page 7: Virtual Entertainment President Kamala Harris. She originally self- Page 8: Speaker Series published Happy Hair and Cool Cuts, born out of her love of natural hair. She is also the Page 9: Virtual Speaker Series author-illustrator I Love Being Me! Page 10: Local History Page 11: Local History Virtual Page 12: Back Cover-Partners Artist Roederick Vines Wednesday, February 10, 6:30 PM Roswell Cultural Arts Center, Second Story Stage Registration required: roswellroots.com Born in 1949 in Toledo, Ohio, Roederick began painting at the tender age of four, then attended the Toledo Art Museum as a guest student at the age of nine. Roederick studied Fine Arts and Illustration at the Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, Ohio in 1971.

Live stream option available

8 • ROSWELL ROOTS 2021

Author Birdel Jackson speaker series Wednesday, February 24, 6:30 PM Roswell Cultural Arts Center, Second Story Stage Memphis-born Birdel Jackson will discuss his 200-year family history from slavery to the 20th century as told in his book, Our Journey Across the Centuries. Book signing to follow.

virtual speaker series

Author Dr. J. Drew Lanham Wednesday, February 3, 6:30 PM • via Zoom A native of Edgefield, South Carolina, J. Drew Lanham is the author of The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature, which received the Reed Award from the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Southern Book Prize, and was a finalist for the John Burroughs Medal.

Author Dr. Francois S. Clemmons Wednesday, February 17, 6:30 PM • via Zoom Dr. François Scarborough Clemmons is an Afro- American singer, actor, playwright and university lecturer. He is perhaps best known for his ap- pearances as the singing police officer, “Officer Clemmons,” on the award-winning PBS television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

Live stream option available

COMPLETE EVENT LISTING AT ROSWELLROOTS.COM • 9 local history

Roswell Historic House Museums for a complete listing of events and more information, visit roswellsoutherntrilogy.com BULLOCH HALL Page 1: Cover About Roswell Roots and overall information Sunday, February 7 Page 2: Art Page 3: Virtual Art/Photos African-American Stories and Songs Page 4: Education Presented by Josie Bailey Page 5: Virtual Education Page 6: Entertainment SMITH PLANTATION Page 7: Virtual Entertainment Page 8: Speaker Series The Life of Mamie Cotton — African-American Page 9: Virtual Speaker Series Woman, Cook, Caretaker & Caregiver Page 10: Local History Month-long exhibit Page 11: Local History Virtual Page 12: Back Cover-Partners The African-American Labor Force at the Smith Plantation from 1838-1981 Saturday, February 13 Open Hearth Cooking Demonstrations at the Cook House Saturday, February 13 & Saturday, February 27

10 • ROSWELL ROOTS 2021 local history virtual local history

Telling Our Story Listen to the stories, lessons, and words of wisdom from current and past residents discussing their experiences growing up in Roswell. Hosted by the Groveway Community Group. Historic Marker Unveiling In partnership with Fulton County Remembrance Coalition Sunday, February 28, 4 PM Join the Mack Henry Brown committee of the Fulton County Remembrance Coalition, a community partner of the Equal Justice Initiative, for the unveiling of a historical marker dedicated to Mack Henry Brown, a Black man lynched in Fulton County in 1936. This marker, located at Roswell’s Riverside Park, is meant to open a dialogue about our history of racial terror violence and to bring about an era of truth telling, healing, and reconciliation. True to Our Native Land Online Documentary What makes a hero? Is it an instinct born or forged by circumstance? World War II was one of the most impactful conflicts in America’s history. Many of those who served fought for a country that didn’t fight for them. These are their stories. This film premiered at the Roswell Roots festival in 2016. It went on to win the Congressional Black Caucus Veteran’s Braintrust award that same year. It can now be seen at the African American Civil War museum in Washington.

COMPLETE EVENT LISTING AT ROSWELLROOTS.COM • 11 Roswell Roots is a community-wide, month-long festival that honors our diverse community and celebrates National Black History Month. Roswell Roots aims to educate, impact, and promote cultural awareness. Programs and events focus on welcoming all community members and offer an opportunity for all ages to engage and participate.

Committee Roswell Recreation, Members Parks, Historic & Cultural Affairs Department Gail Bohannon, 2021 Committee Chair Jeffrey Leatherman, Page 1: Cover About Roswell Roots and overall information Nancy Bishop Director Page 2: Art Sharon Crumley Steven Malone, Deputy Director Page 3: Virtual Art/Photos Theresia Carrington Beckie Hawkins, Marie Epps Page 4: Education Cultural Arts Manager Mike Harris Page 5: Virtual Education Corinne Sutherlin, Page 6: Entertainment Mary Lucas Cultural Arts Supervisor Page 7: Virtual Entertainment Gerry McDonald Donna Clayton, Page 8: Speaker Series Roswell Cultural Arts Center Page 9: Virtual Speaker Series Page 10: Local History COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS Page 11: Local History Virtual Page 12: Back Cover-Partners

North Fulton Area Section, National Council of Negro Women, Inc.