{"id":178810,"date":"2026-03-05T04:20:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T04:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/178810\/"},"modified":"2026-03-05T04:20:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T04:20:09","slug":"africana-arts-humanities-festival-to-explore-250-years-of-black-life-and-culture-in-fort-lauderdale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/178810\/","title":{"rendered":"AFRICANA ARTS & HUMANITIES FESTIVAL To Explore 250 Years Of Black Life And Culture In Fort Lauderdale"},"content":{"rendered":"

\ud83c\udfad NEW! Miami Theatre Newsletter<\/p>\n

\n Get all the top news & discounts for Miami & beyond.\n <\/p>\n

The 2026 Africana Arts & Humanities Festival (AAHF) will take place March 27\u201328 at the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC) in Fort Lauderdale. The two-day event will bring together scholars, authors, artists, performers, and community members for programs exploring 250 years of Black life, culture, and resistance through scholarship, literature, music, and family activities.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfad NEW! Miami Theatre Newsletter<\/p>\n

\n Get all the top news & discounts for Miami & beyond.\n <\/p>\n

AAHF is the flagship annual gathering of AARLCC, a nationally recognized institution dedicated to preserving and promoting the global Black experience through research, scholarship, the arts, and community engagement. The festival transforms the library into a hub for cultural exchange with lectures, literary discussions, performances, youth programs, and curated exhibits highlighting the diversity of the African diaspora.<\/p>\n

Inspired by Langston Hughes<\/a>\u2019 poem \u201cI, Too,\u201d the 2026 theme, \u201cWe, Too, Sing America: 250 Years of Black Life and Culture,\u201d reflects on the contributions of Black communities across U.S. history. The program focuses on historical perspectives, contemporary scholarship, and artistic expression while encouraging intergenerational learning.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor 250 years, Black life, culture, art, and resistance have shaped the story of America,\u201d said Tameka Hobbs, historian and regional library manager at AARLCC. \u201cWe invite the community to experience powerful conversations and performances that explore where we’ve been and where we’re going. Through music, literature, scholarship, and storytelling, we celebrate the richness of the African diaspora. This is more than a festival \u2014 it’s culture, history, and community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Featured Speakers<\/p>\n

Featured speakers include Karsonya Wise Whitehead, Ph.D., President of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) and a professor at Loyola University Maryland whose work examines Black public memory, racial justice, and social change.<\/p>\n

Historian Kellie Carter-Jackson, Ph.D., author of We Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance, will also participate. Her research focuses on African American resistance movements and nineteenth-century freedom struggles, and her book has been recognized as a New York Times Editors\u2019 Pick and a Kirkus Best Book of the Year.<\/p>\n

Randal Maurice Jelks, Ph.D., a professor, documentary producer, and author of My America: Langston Hughes<\/a> on Democracy, will discuss Hughes\u2019 vision of democracy and the writer\u2019s journey through American and global cultural life.<\/p>\n

Festival Highlights<\/p>\n

Programming will include a keynote conversation and reception on Friday evening, followed by Family Day activities on Saturday featuring youth programming, children\u2019s storytelling, author showcases, and hands-on cultural experiences. Pyramid Books will host a bookstore event with author signings and literary vendors.<\/p>\n

Event Information<\/p>\n

The Africana Arts & Humanities Festival will take place at the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center, 2650 Sistrunk Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.<\/p>\n

The event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase and signing. For the complete schedule and registration information, visit broward.org\/Library\/Events\/Pages\/AfricanaFestival.aspx<\/a> or call 954-357-6282.<\/p>\n

The festival is supported by Wayne and Lucretia Weiner, The Friends of AARLCC, and the Broward Cultural Division.<\/p>\n

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