Feast of African-American Creativity program set Feb. 9

In observance of Black History Month, the Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice, in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Sussex County, will host A Feast of African-American Creativity to celebrate the works of African-American poets and authors at noon, Friday, Feb. 9, at the Lewes Public Library.

Poems, music and prose from six major time periods will be read or performed. The time periods span from Early Poets, with works by Harriet Tubman, through Contemporary, with a poem by Rita Dove.

Works from famous African-American poets include "On Being Brought from Africa to America” by Phillis Wheatley; Harriet Tubman's "Goodbye Song”; "Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar; and "The Heart of a Woman" by Georgia Douglas Johnson. "Mother to Son," a Harlem Renaissance poem by Langston Hughes and works by Mari Evans and others from the Civil Rights Movement period will also be read. From the Modern period, some poems by Maya Angelou and Audre Lord are among the selections.

In addition to readings, music from James Weldon Johnson's "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" will be played and a video will be shown that features the Twin Poets Albert H. Mills and Nnamdi Chukwuocha reading "Dreams are Illegal" and "Why I Write."

Time for discussion has been built into the program for the participants to share their reflections on these gems or ask questions about the eras or artists. For more information, go to www.sussexlwv.org.