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City Council to Host Black History Month Celebration and Poindexter Awards Ceremony
This year's theme will recognize "African Americans and the Arts".
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[Columbus, OH] -- Tomorrow, Columbus City Council's annual Black History Month Celebration and Poindexter Award Ceremony returns! Aligning with this year's theme, "African Americans and the Arts", the event will be held at the Historic Lincoln Theatre at 10 am. As we celebrate the contributions of Black local artists, the event will be full of musical and dance performances and a panel discussion on the past, present, and future of Black art.
During the ceremony, Councilmembers will honor the 2024 James Preston Poindexter Award recipients, named after Reverend James Preston Poindexter, the first Black member of Columbus City Council. Kerry Charles of NBC4 will emcee the event festivities and host the awards ceremony. This event is free and open to the public. It will also be live-streamed on NBC4i.com, as well as Columbus City Council's Facebook page and the City of Columbus YouTube page.
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Emcee Spotlight: Kerry Charles
Kerry Charles anchors the weeknight editions of NBC4 at 6, 7 & 11. A graduate of Linden-McKinley High School and the University of Cincinnati, Kerry returned home in June 2020. This Emmy-winning journalist believes in holding the microphone for people with marginalized voices. He holds memberships with the St. Stephen’s Community House Board of Trustees, the National Association of Black Journalists and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated.
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Panelists for Discussion on Black Art | |
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Brooke Minto
Brooke Minto is the executive director of the Columbus Art Museum. Previously, she served as the inaugural executive director at the Black Trustee Alliance for Art Museums (BTA) where she worked to transform art museums into more equitable spaces of cultural engagement. Over the years, Brooke has worked in curation and academia at art museums and universities across the country. Her focus of study is on the contemporary art of the global African diaspora. Brooke also regularly serves as a visiting critic and juror for creative practices.
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Gaëtane Verna
Gaëtane Verna is the executive director of the Wexner Center for the Arts. Throughout her career in curation, Gaëtane has worked with many Canadian and international artists at various Canadian art museums. Most recently, she served as the artistic director of The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Toronto for 10 years. Additionally, Gaëtane serves on several boards of directors including the Canada Council for the Arts, TV5 Québec Canada, the Holt/Smithson Foundation, and the Sobey Art Foundation.
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Shelbi Toone
Shelbi "Shel10" Toone (formerly Shelbi Harris-Roseboro) is the Project Manager for Poindexter Village Museum & Cultural Center, the 59th site of the Ohio History Connection. Additionally, she has been the Community Programs Manager for the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education since 2014. Shelbi also served as the Executive Director for All People Arts, a south-side art gallery. In 2010, Shelbi launched her own creative services business, Shel10 LLC, where uses her artistic and project management expertise for projects she is truly passionate about.
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Dr. Jason Rawls
Dr. Jason Rawls is an Assistant Professor of Hip-Hop at The Ohio State University, leading the creation of the first Hip Hop Studies program in a School of Music at an R1-level U.S. university. He also developed the first Hip-Hop Based Education program in an education college at Ohio University. Dr. Rawls is known for his music production with artists like Talib Kweli, Odd Future, Beastie Boys, and more. He also is a co-author of "Youth Culture Power: A #HipHopEd Guide to Buiding Teacher-Student Relationships and Increasing Student Engagement".
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2024 Poindexter Award Winners | |
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Suzan Bradford
Suzan Bradford is the President of the Thiossane Institute and Artistic Director of the Thiossane Institute West African Dance Company. Co-founded with her husband, the company provides authentic performances and instruction to people of all ages. Suzan has also been the Executive Director of the historic Lincoln Theatre since its reopening in 2009. During her tenure, she has created and grown multiple programs that serve as career-launching incubators for up-and-coming Columbus artists.
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Richard "Duarte" Brown
Richard "Duarte" Brown, known as Duarte, is the resident artist at multiple Columbus schools through the TeachArtsOhio Grant from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). For over 30 years, Duarte has dedicated his talents to helping young people in Columbus. In 2022, he was awarded the Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson Fellowship and the Governor's Award in the field of Art Education. Deeply influenced by Mr. William Steele, his fifth-grade teacher, Duarete wrote a book titled, The Steele Influence.
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Barbara "Wahru" Cleveland
Barbara “Wahru” Cleveland was a scientist, educator, African-American rights activist, and musician, who left a legacy of activism in her community. She was a dedicated volunteer to many organizations like the Red Cross, Immigration Services, and Girlz Rythm n' Rock Camp. "Wahru", who passed away in November 2022, was most well-known for her drumming expertise and formed various groups like Sister Ngoma, Columbus Community Drummers, and Spirit Drummers. She also led drum circles, performing at many venues and music festivals. "Wahru" was proud of her heritage and demonstrated how different cultures could appreciate and respect each other.
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Larry James
Larry James has been at the heart of the business, legal, civic, and political scene in Columbus for the last 30 years. He recently became an Equity Partner with the Chicago-based firm of Amundsen Davis. Larry previously served as the Director of Public Safety for the City of Columbus over police and fire from 1989-1992. Outside of his role as an attorney, Larry is a leader in arts advocacy and an avid collector. Previously he served as the President of the Lincoln Theatre Association Board, President of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Performing & Cultural Arts, and as a Board Trustee for the Greater Columbus Arts Council. Larry is also going to be a panelist for the discussion on black art at the event.
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Baba Tony West and Aziza West
Baba Tony West represents the Spirit of the Drums and Aziza West represents the Spirit of Dance; entertaining and educating about history. Their journey in community-building started more than 40 years ago through the Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC) and the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education (OAAE). Their shared passion for learning and spreading the values of African Culture cumulated through "Tony West and the Imani Dancers". They have been honored as Living Legend recipients and their portraits can be found on the Columbus' Long Street Cultural Wall.
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