Black History Month
๐๐ง๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ก ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ฒ
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A production of A Langston Hughes Song Revival will be shown at UCPACโs Hamilton Stage located at 360 Hamilton Street in Rahway from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This show consists of an hour of Langston Hughes poetry set to music by African American composers Margaret Bonds and Florence Price. Call the UCPAC box office for ticket information at 732-499-8226. Register at:ย https://ucnj.org/black-history-month/#register
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The Freeholder Board will present the Chester Holmes award before the production of Raisin: A Musical at UCPACโs Main Stage located at 1601 Irving Street in Rahway from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. This is a musical adaptation of the Lorraine Hansberry play A Raisin in the Sun. Call the UCPAC box office for ticket information at 732-499-8226.
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At noon the Freeholder Board will recognize the 400th anniversary of the transatlantic slave trade and its reverberations in our lives today with a free educational โLunch and Learnโ event. This event will take place in the Freeholder meeting room on the 6th floor in the Union County administration building in Elizabeth. For more information, please email Nathalie Hernandez at nahernandez@ucnj.org.
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From 7-8 p.m., residents and visitors are invited to Union Countyโs Trailside Nature and Science Center, located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside to โmeetโ Rosa Parks in a first-person interpreter presentation by Alexandra Ford of the American Historical Theatre. Attendees must be age 18 or older or high school students. Space is limited and pre-registration is recommended through the Trailside Talks link onย https://secure.rec1.com/NJ/union-county-nj/catalog
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Upcoming events from the Office of LGBTQ Affairs
Confirmatory Adoption and LGBTQ Family Planning Presentation and Panel Discussion Tuesday, February 25 UCPACโs Hamilton Stage The evening presentation will offer an in-depth understanding of New Jerseyโs new confirmatory adoption law and changes to the legal process for families seeking parental rights protections where one parent is not able to contribute genetic material โ this includes same-gender, different-gender and transgender couples. The presentation will include important life and family planning topics that directly affect the LGBTQ community including building and protecting non-traditional family structures and the portability of parental rights. The evening presentation will include a Q&A opportunity to speak with the panelists, Danni Newbury, Coordinator of Union Countyโs Office of LGBTQ Affairs, Suzanne DiOrio, Special Deputy Surrogate for Union County, Bill Singer, Esq. of Singer & Fedun, Deb Guston, Esq. of Guston & Guston. Free Admission; Pre-registration required. Leadership Hyacinth Monday, May 18 and Tuesday, May, 19 Warinanco Sports Center The two-day โLeadership Hyacinthโ advocacy training course for community leaders aims to increase awareness and advocacy efforts within Union County communities. โLeadership Hyacinthโ is designed to increase participation in advocacy efforts in HIV/AIDS, STI & Hep C Policy. Organized by the Union County Office of LGBTQ Affairs in partnership with Hyacinth Foundation, upon completion of the โLeadership Hyacinthโ program participants will be able to use science-based evidence to speak competently on broad public health issues; present advocacy issues to policy makers at the local, state and federal level through letters, email, phone calls and face to face meetings, and describe and understand United States and New Jersey HIV/AIDS strategies and policies. Free Admission. Limited Seating. Registration Required. Open for Business โ Open for Everyone Inclusion and Diversity Symposium for Business Owners, Managers and Entrepreneurs New Date TBD Hamilton Stage (Fazioli Room) Business owners, managers and entrepreneurs to participate in the first Open for Business โ Open for Everyone: Inclusion and Diversity Symposium. The free full-day symposium will focus on internal policies and practices to create an inclusive working environment for employees, LGBTQ+ 101 cultural competency training, understanding New Jerseyโs Law Against Discrimination (LAD), and best practices for being open for business to serve all people. The scheduled panelists and speakers represent New Jersey government, corporate sector, small business, and workplace diversity.ย Guests will have an opportunity to engage in important discussions with experts in their respective fields to foster a diverse, inclusive, accepting, welcoming space for employees and customers.
6:30 PM โ 8:00 PM
360 Hamilton Street, Rahway
Advocacy Training Program
9:30 AM โ 4:00 PM
One Park Drive, Roselle
360 Hamilton Street, Rahway
Cultural Events Calendar
Feb. 18 Memory Cafรฉ The Memory Cafรฉ provides an opportunity for individuals with memory loss and their care takers to socialize and enjoy music in a warm welcoming environment. A free lunch will be provided. Free Feb. 21-29 (Fridays & Saturdays) Be Here Now Surrounded by painfully cheerful co-workers, Bari is deeply cynical and woefully underemployed. After an unexpected and unexplainable turn of events, Bari finds herself on an enlightening new path. When she meets Mike, itโs her turn to pull another out of the darkness. Adults $39 l Seniors $34 l Students $25 Feb. 22 Rahway Valley Jerseyaires’ Barbershop Quartet Singing Contest & Concert Come sing at the 59th Annual Barbershop Contest — or just listen, as novice barbershop quartets compete in this fun contest. Quartets sing a cappella and are evaluated by professional judges. Winners receive a medal. To register a quartet, call 201-675-1222. (A modest registration fee applies.) Free Feb. 23 James Austin Jazz Trio James Austin Jr. is an accomplished jazz pianist and bandleader who has performed with a long list of jazz greats, and has received a number of awards and accolades for his talent. Austin, along with his trio, plays a mix of jazz standards and original arrangements. Free Feb. 23 Masters of the Orchestra New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra Winter Concert featuring, Young Artist Concerto Competition winner, Dylan Hamme, of Leonia. He will perform Ravelโs Tzigane, an extraordinary display of violin technique. The orchestra will perform Prokofievโs Symphony No. 7, Beethovenโs German Dance No. 1, and the Stamitz Sinfonia in D major. Free Feb. 29 Dismantling the Racism Machine by Karen Gaffney PH. D Explore concepts from Ms. Gaffneyโs book, โDismantling the Racism Machine: A Manual and Toolbox,โ in which participants will look at how the public understands (and doesnโt) race and racism. Free Mar. 1 Salsa Dance Workshop Come explore the basics of Salsa Dance with Baila Society Company member and instructor, Kalli Siamidou. She studied various dance forms, acting, and singing at Peridance Capezio Dance Center where she currently teaches. Participants should wear comfortable clothes. Jazz shoes or socks recommended. All levels welcome, ages 13+. Space is limited, registration is encouraged. For more information or to reserve a spot please email Taina Bey at taina.bey@theconnectiononline.org Free Mar. 2 Memory Cafรฉ The Memory Cafรฉ provides an opportunity for individuals with memory loss and their care takers to socialize and enjoy music in a warm welcoming environment. A free lunch will be provided. Free Mar. 6 & 7 Be Here Now Surrounded by painfully cheerful co-workers, Bari is deeply cynical and woefully underemployed. After an unexpected and unexplainable turn of events, Bari finds herself on an enlightening new path. When she meets Mike, itโs her turn to pull another out of the darkness. Adults $39 l Seniors $34 l Students $25 Mar. 14, 21, 27, 28 at 8 PM The Dining Room A comedy of manners set in a single dining room where 18 scenes from different households overlap and intertwine. Each story is focused around a different family, during different time periods that has the same dining room furniture (manufactured in 1898) in their possession. $22 l $10 for students and Active-Duty Military Mar. 17 Memory Cafรฉ The Memory Cafรฉ provides an opportunity for individuals with memory loss and their caretakers to socialize and enjoy music in a warm welcoming environment. A free lunch will be provided. Free Mar. 21 The Flip Side Improv Based on improv techniques created by The Groundlings, Upright Citizens’ Brigade and The Magnet, The Flip Side offers a unique spin on short-form improv, taking audience input to create instant scenes that are both unexpected and hilarious. All Adults $20 l Students under 25 with ID $15 Mar. 22 Hampton Place: Out of Sight, but Around the Corner from Everywhere This walking tour of Hampton Place will explore the architecture, history, and lives of prominent African Americans who resided in the vicinity, particularly composer Clarence Cameron White, Dr. Richard Payne, and the Nesbitt family. The tour will begin on the steps of City Hall, opposite Winfield Scott Park Free Apr. 17-25 (Fridays & Saturdays) โWays to Be Happyโ Darting from a convenience store, to a cabin in the woods, to a theme park, Maddie and the unusual people she meets are searching for happiness. Does it exist? Or is the world fundamentally rigged? Adults $39 l Seniors $34 l Students $25 May 1-2 โWays to Be Happyโ Darting from a convenience store, to a cabin in the woods, to a theme park, Maddie and the unusual people she meets are searching for happiness. Does it exist? Or is the world fundamentally rigged? Adults $39 l Seniors $34 l Students $25 May 9, 16, 23 at 8 PM Forever Plaid When four young singers are killed in a car crash, they posthumously take the stage for one final gig in the goofy 1950โs nostalgia trip. One of the most popular and successful musicals in recent memory, this fun revue is chock-full of classic barbershop quartet harmonies and pitch perfect melodies. $25 l $15 Students & Active-Duty Military
12-1 PM
CONCERT
Lavy House
748 East Broad St., Westfield
908-352-8375
www.jfscentral.org
8 PM
Feb. 23
2 PM Matinee
THEATRE
Dreamcatcher Rep @ Oakes Center
120 Morris Avenue, Summit
800-838-3006
www.dreamcatcherrep.org
7 PM
Singing Contest/ Concert
Roosevelt School
811 St. Georges Ave., Rahway
201-675-1222
www.jerseyaires.org
2-3 PM
JAZZ CONCERT
Summit Public Library
75 Maple Street, Summit
908-273-0350
www.summitlibrary.org
3 PM
CONCERT
Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School
272 Morris Ave., Summit
www.njio.org
10:30 AM
LECTURE
Plainfield Public Library
800 Park Ave, Plainfield
908-757-1111
drakehouseplainfield@gmail.com
4-5 Pm
The Connection
79 Maple Street, Summit
908-273-4242
https://theconnectiononline.org
12 PM
CONCERT
Jewish Family Service of Central NJ
655 Westfield Avenue, Elizabeth
908-352-8375
www.jfscentralnj.org
8 PM
Mar. 1 & 8
2 PM Matinee
THEATRE
Dreamcatcher Rep @ Oakes Center
120 Morris Avenue, Summit
800-838-3006
www.dreamcatcherrep.org
Mar. 22 at 2 PM
THEATRE
Westfield Community Players
1000 North Ave. West, Westfield
908-232-1221
www.westfieldcommunityplayers.org
12 PM
CONCERT
Jewish Family Service of Central NJ
Lavy House
748 East Broad St., Westfield
908-352-8375
www.jfscentralnj.org
8 PM
COMEDY PERFORMANCE
Dreamcatcher Rep @ Oakes Center
120 Morris Avenue Summit
800-838-3006
www.dreamcatcherrep.org
2:30 PM
WALKING TOUR
50 Winfield Scott Plaza, Elizabeth
908-289-3584
8 PM
Apr. 19 & 26
2 PM Matinee
THEATRE
Dreamcatcher Rep @ Oakes Center
120 Morris Avenue, Summit
800-838-3006
www.dreamcatcherrep.org
8 PM
May 3
2 PM Matinee
THEATRE
Dreamcatcher Rep @ Oakes Center
120 Morris Avenue, Summit
800-838-3006
www.dreamcatcherrep.org
May 17 at 2 PM
THEATRE
Westfield Community Players
1000 North Ave. West, Westfield
908-232-1221
www.westfieldcommunityplayers.org
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities and Community Events
The Office of Community Engagement & Diversity of the County of Union is located within the Department of Economic Development. If you have any questions regarding requesting volunteer services or partnering up with our Office for events, please contact Nathalie Hernandez at 908-527-4880 nahernandez@ucnj.org
Saturday, February 1st 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth Saturday, February 1st 11 S. Broad St, Elizabeth Come celebrate the Lunar New Year at the Elizabeth Public Library! Children and their families will enjoy a story time, craft, and a special dance performance. Saturday, February 1st 1121 Elizabeth Avenue, Elizabeth Through narration, dance, and videos how we traveled from a prosperous Africa to slavery and then to present time. Contact: Charlotte & Ken Brown, 908-943-8116 www.unitedyouthofnj.org Monday, February 3rd 50 Winfield Scott Plaza, Elizabeth Monday, February 3rd 360 Hamilton St, Rahway This program is narrated by WQXR radio personality Terrence McKnight. It will feature music by black women composers: Margaret Bonds & Florence Price. Contact: John Prescott, 908-436-2912 Friday, February 7th Unionโs 4th Annual Black History Month long celebration: Various local Black artists will exhibit their artwork. Refreshments will be served. Free admission Saturday, February 8th 1601 Irving St, Rahway A free presentation of Raisin will be presented at the UCPAC, kicking off a month long celebration honoring Black History Month. Contact: ucnj.org/black-history-month Monday, February 10th 10 Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth-6th Floor-FH Meeting Room Union County will recognize the 400th Anniversary of the transatlantic slave trade and the resilience and cultural contributions of Africans and African Americans to our nation. Lunch will be provided. Contact: Nathalie Hernandez, 908-527-4880 Wednesday, February 12th 123 Hilton Ave, Vauxhall Unionโs 4th Annual Black History Month long celebration: Presented by Dr. Katie Singer, history of faculty at Rutgers University-Newark. There will be a brief introduction to the field of oral history, followed by examples from some local oral history collections and a short workshop for participants who are interested in recording their own familiesโ oral histories. Registration Required: 908-851-5451 Thursday, February 13th Union County residents and visitors have the opportunity to โmeetโ Rosa Parks in a first-person interpreter presentation by Alexandra Ford of the American Historical Theatre. The event is free and is made possible by funding from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.
Union County Black History Month Inaugural Flag Raising-UC Courthouse
10:00am-10:30am
Lunar New Year Party-Elizabeth Public Library
1:00PM- 2:00pm
New Jersey only surviving Black Wall Street-Liberty Center
2:00pm-4:00pm
Elizabeth Citywide African American History Month Proclamation Signing Program- City Hall Council Chambers
5:00pm-6:00pm
A Langston Hughes Song Revival-UCPAC Hamilton Stage
7:30pm-8:30pm
Black Excellence Art Exhibit- Vauxhall Meeting Center
Hilton Avenue, Vauxhall
6:00pm- 9:00pm
Raisin a Musical-UCPAC Main Stage
7:00pm- 8:00pm
Black History Month Lunch and Learn-Administration Building
12:00pm -1:00pm
Black History, Oral History, & your Familyโs Story-Vauxhall Branch Library
6:00pm- 7:00pm
Trailside Talk features Rosa Parks in Celebration of Black History Month-UC Trailside Nature and Science Center
452 New Providence Rd, Mountainside
7:00pm- 8:00pm
Astronomyย Day
