
Black resistance is the theme of the upcoming Virginia Black History Month Gala in Alexandria.
Actor, singer and producer “Leon” Robinson will be the keynote speaker for the annual event, which will be held at the Hilton Mark Center (5000 Seminary Road) on Friday, February 24, and Saturday, February 25. Robinson performed roles in “The Temptations,” “The Five Heartbeats,” “Cool Runnings,” “Above the Rim,” and as Little Richard in the 2000 film “Little Richard.”
The gala will also honor civil rights pioneer Betty Kilby Fisher Baldwin, who successfully sued the Warren County Board of Education to attend Warren County High School in the 1950s.
“African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial pogroms, and police killings since our arrival upon these shores,” said the Virginia Black History Month Association, which is hosting the event. “These efforts have been to advocate for a dignified self-determined life in a just democratic society in the United States and beyond the United States political jurisdiction.”
Tickets to attend the two day event cost $45 to attend virtually, $95 for general admission and $160 for adult VIPs.
The schedule for the event is below.
- Black Health Health Fair — Friday, Feb. 24, at 4 p.m.
- Relationship Seminar — Friday, Feb. 24, at 6 p.m.
- Black Vendor Showcase — Saturday, Feb. 25, at 5 p.m.
- The VIP Social with Keynote — Saturday, Feb. 25, at 5 p.m.
- The Virginia Black History Month Gala — Saturday, Feb. 25, at 6 p.m.
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