Part of that takes place in Philadelphia, at the Liberty Bell, which means it isn't truly part of the SBHF32, but it was included in its website schedule, with the subtitle "From Captivated To Captivating", so I attended.
The portion filmed locally included the keynote address from Richard R. Wright IV, a historian and professor at Savannah State University.
That talk was clearly intended for the ears of students, but he was easy to listen to, so I stayed.
The theme of the Savannah Black Heritage Festival is "Reflect. Reform. Rejoice." and his lesson was meant for reflection of what has passed.
The first actual event of this 32nd year was Friday, with Nikki Conley.
She led "Burn Baby, Burn, Part 1: Low Impact Fitness for Youths and Adults", which turned out to be truth in advertising!
I even participated in the 30-minute session and have it marked for return visits!
Plus, I like her art!
Her talk was titled, aptly enough for such reflection, "Lest We Forget: A Call To Remembrance".
That was followed within the hour by "The Laying of Memorial Wreaths" segment, featuring several monuments around town.
My favorite part of that was the reading of the inscriptions by teenagers, most of whom were members of Top Teens of America.
What a fabulous way to get children involved with this festival!
A workshop with the Sons of Mystro is good, too, especially when it's followed up by an evening concert!
I love watching these two brothers wail away on their violins - yes, violins! - on everything from Top 40 to reggae to classical; fearless, they will bend a bow to any genre!
Plus, Umoja McNeish, the bearded one on the left, is an absolute joy to watch, obviously loving the music and playing it with brother Malcolm!
I was introduced to the violin virtuoso duo several years ago at an earlier SBHF. The pair played at the Fine Arts Auditorium at the Armstrong State University campus and I was quite pleasantly surprised at their musical range! I just wish there had been a place for dancing, as I know they would have loved to have folks out of their seats - and I would have loved that, too!
Amen to that!
Tonight brought more music in the form of "A Virtual Gospel Concert", featuring Demetrius West and the Jesus Promoters.
They made use of three locations for their songs, performing two tunes - "Open The Floodgates" and "Heal Our Land" - in a recording studio.
Good thing this was scheduled on a Sunday, 'cause I definitely feel like I've been to church!
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