Black History Month Begins with Lively Lectures at Spady Museum’s Series in February February 4, 2010

Delray Beach, FL. – January 2010 – The Spady Cultural Heritage Museum will be celebrating Black History Month with the return of its popular lecture series, Connecting Culture and Community. Lectures will begin at 5:30 p.m. beginning February 4 and continuing through mid-March.

The six-part lecture series is free to the public and designed to highlight the rich cultural heritage of American-Americans in South Florida .

“We’re very pleased to be able to bring back this very popular series,” said Brandy Brownlee, museum educator. “Over the last three years, this series has attracted a loyal following that includes people of all ages.”

Guest lecturers, who will speak on a wide variety of topics, will give a presentation followed by a question and answer session, which has generated lively discussions in the past.

Feb. 4: Editor Brad Bennett of The South Florida Times, C. Ron Allen, reporter for the Sun-Sentinel, and Dr. Sika Dagbovie of Florida Atlantic University will talk about “The Future of Black Media” and how the South Florida community can make it bigger, stronger and even more effective and what media portrayals means to black identity and community. The South Florida Times is the premier source of news and information about what’s happening in the diverse communities of Palm Beach , Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

Feb. 11: “2010’s Must-Read Black Authors” and finding your own creative voice will be the topic for Akbar of Pyramid Books in Boynton Beach and new author Dr. Patricia Darlington. Akbar, owner of local hub of black literature, will recommend which innovative or established writers are the ones to read this year. Dr. Darlington, author of the upcoming “You Can’t Get to Heaven Wearing Tight Shoes,” a book on personal honesty, will discuss the journey of taking an idea from one’s head to a literary agent and what it takes to be a published author.

Feb. 18: In celebration of Black History Month, the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum will air a documentary from its “Oh Freedom Over Me” multi-media exhibit, which features commentary from the photographers and workers of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. The exhibit will be shown at the museum until March 27, 2010.

Feb. 25: Dr. Johnnie Stover of Florida Atlantic University will revisit the life and times of Floridian author Zora Neal Hurston. In her presentation, “Fort Pierce Remembers Miss Zora,” Dr. Stover will talk about the memories that some of the people of Fort Pierce have of Zora from the last years of her life in that area. Dr. Stover has a PhD in English from Florida State University and is currently Associate Professor and Associate Chair of the English Department at Florida Atlantic University . Her areas of expertise include 19th and 20th Century American Literatures with emphasis on African American Literature, Women's Literature, American Southern Literature, and Native American Literature..

March 4 (place TBD): A panel discussion on “Women in Politics,” held in partnership with the Women’s Studies Center at Florida Atlantic University . Moderated by Kitty Oliver, author and oral historian.

March 11: Broadway and TV star and singer/performer Avery Sommers. Nationally-recognized jazz/blues recording artist, Sommers will discuss her career highlights and memories of performances with Nell Carter, Burt Reynolds and other legendary stars in a lecture on entertainment, talent and making it in the “business.” Sommers currently travels the world performing in top-rated cabarets.

The Spady Cultural Heritage Museum , a non-profit organization located in Palm Beach County , is dedicated to discovering, collecting and sharing the African-American history and heritage of Florida . Located in the former home of the late Solomon D. Spady, the most prominent African American educator and community leader in Delray Beach from 1922 to 1957, the museum opened in July 2001. It is the only museum of its kind in Palm Beach County.