BLACK HISTORY MONTH CALENDAR

Mark your calendar for events that begin this weekend and continue through February in observance of Black History Month. This listing will be posted online at www.timesfreepress.com throughout the month of February.

TODAY

  • "Treemonisha:" UTC Fine Arts Center, corner of Vine and Palmetto streets, 7:30 p.m., $20 general admission, $17 senior adults, $14 students, $10 UTC students, Varanda Bell stars in title role of Scott Joplin's opera. 425-4269.

SUNDAY

  • Songbook: Stevie Wonder: Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. M.L. King Blvd., 6 p.m., $5, family event of song and poetry sponsored by Creative Underground.

  • "Treemonisha:" UTC Fine Arts Center, corner of Vine and Palmetto streets, 3 p.m., $20 general admission, $17 senior adults, $14 students, $10 UTC students, Varanda Bell stars in title role of Scott Joplin's opera. 425-4269.

FEB. 1

  • AIDS Awareness Program: Chattanooga State Community College, Bond Humanities Theater, 10 a.m., free, Marvelyn Brown speaks on "The Naked Truth: Young, Beautiful & HIV Positive."

  • Black History Month Kickoff: University of Tennessee at Chattanooga University Center, Multicultural Center, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., free, students/alumni invited to decorate a quilt piece for the Unity Quilt. 425-4363.

FEB. 2

  • Soul Poetry Night: UTC University Center, Multicultural Center, 8 p.m., free, J. Whaley featured. 425-4363.

FEB. 3

  • Black History Month Kickoff: Chattanooga State Community College cafeteria, 10 a.m., free.

FEB. 4

  • African American Art Purchase Party: Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View, 6:30 p.m., free to Friends of African American Art, $25 nonmembers, guests vote on contemporary black art to become part of the Hunter collection. 267-0968.

  • Library Reading: Chattanooga Public Library, second floor, 1001 Broad St., 2:30 p.m., free, hear about inspirational black figures from reader Lorean Mays.

FEB. 6

  • "Ain't Misbehavin'": Athens City Middle School, 200 Keith Lane, Athens, Tenn., 7:30 p.m., next in Big Time/Small Town Performance Series of Athens Area Council for the Arts. For tickets: www.athensartscouncil.org or 423-745-8781.

  • "Underground Railroad: William Still Story": WTCI Channel 45, 10 p.m., PBS program on one of the most important, yet unheralded, individuals on the Underground Railroad.

FEB. 7

  • "Freedom Riders": WTCI Channel 45, 8 p.m., PBS programming, filmmaker Stanley Nelson's documentary on the courageous band of civil-rights activists.

FEB. 10

  • Love Groove: Chattanooga Convention Center, 8-11 p.m., $20 in advance, $25 at door. Rhyme N Chatt, Chattanooga Soul and UTC Black Alumni Association host live band, open mic poetry and food and drink for purchase. 544-1497.

  • Soul Food Luncheon: Chattanooga State Community College, Faculty/Staff Dining Room, 11 a.m., free, Southern soul food available for sampling, Booker T. Scruggs Ensemble performs music made popular by black women featuring vocalist Nancy Westmoreland. 697-4475.

FEB. 11

  • Black History Month Banquet: Second Missionary Baptist Church, McDaniel-Strickland Multipurpose Room, 2305 E. Third St., 6 p.m., $15, tickets must be purchased by Feb. 8, no tickets sold at door; banquet honors black women past and present, African attire is optional. 624-9097.

  • "The Help" Panel Discussion: Chattanooga Public Library, 1001 Broad St., noon, free, bring a sack lunch, Lorean Mays moderates discussion on the popular book and movie, panel includes a Jackson, Miss., resident. 757-5310.

  • "What Really Happened": Eastgate Public Library, 5705 Marlin Road, 2:30 p.m., free, broadcaster and journalist T.R. Gunn tells events in black history that didn't make history books. 757-5310.

FEB. 12

  • Edmonia Simmons-Everett O'Neal Memorial Concert: Howard School of Academics and Technology, 2500 S. Market St., 3 p.m., free, annual concert by Chattanooga Boys Choir and Chattanooga Choral Society for the Preservation of African American Song. 634-2299.

  • Songbook: Luther Vandross: Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. M.L. King Blvd., 6 p.m., $40 includes dinner, dancing, performance by Three Divas and music of Vandross performed by Harley Griffin. 266-8658.

FEB. 13

  • Littleton Mason Singers: UTC University Center, common area, noon, free. 425-4363.

  • Movie and Discussion: UTC University Center, Multicultural Center, 3 p.m., free, screening of "The Murder of Emmett Till" followed by discussion. 425-4363.

  • "Slavery By Another Name": WTCI Channel 45, 9 p.m., PBS documentary spans eight decades of slavery, includes interviews with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Douglas Blackmon.

FEB. 14

  • "Frontline: The Interrupters": WTCI Channel 45, 9 p.m., PBS program presents profiles in courage about "violence interrupters."

FEB. 16

  • "A King's Dream": UTC University Center, Multicultural Center, 8 p.m., free, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity presents movie and discussion about campus climate past and present. 425-4363.

FEB. 18

  • Littleton Mason Singers Reunion: UTC University Center auditorium, 6 p.m., free, reunion and concert. 425-4363.

FEB. 19

  • Mason Singers Church Service: New Monumental Baptist Church, 901 Woodmore Lane, 11 a.m., free, church service features Littleton Mason Singers from UTC. 425-4363.

  • "Tribute to Mahalia Jackson": Metropolitan Tabernacle, 2101 W. Shepherd Road, 6:30 p.m., free, musical presented by Sounds of Destiny. 598-3538.

FEB. 20

  • Dance Troupe: Cleveland State Community College, Student Center, Cleveland, Tenn., 11 a.m., free performance of African dances by Dance Time troupe. 614-8748.

  • Hip-hop Talk: UTC University Center, Multicultural Center, 5 p.m., free, Professor Karim-Kincey speaks on "The Power of the Spoken Word: the Rhetorical Significance of Hip-Hop," sponsored by the NAACP. 425-4363.

  • "The Freedom Riders": UTC University Center, Multicultural Center, 8 p.m., free, movie followed by discussion. 425-4363.

FEB. 21

  • Storyteller Vincent Phipps: Chattanooga Public Library, 1001 Broad St., 6:30 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. Phipps presents stories of local black history in "Chattanooga Chocolate Stories: Sweet Tales throughout Chattanooga History," free. 757-5310.

FEB. 22

  • NAACP Discussion: UTC University Center, Raccoon Mountain Room, 8 p.m., free, open discussion on topic of "My Black Is ..." 425-4363.

FEB. 25

  • Alert Men's Club Prayer Breakfast: First Baptist Church, 506 E. Eighth St., 10 a.m., $10 per person, guest speaker is state Rep. Joanne Favors. 265-3229

  • Black History Banquet: New Monumental Baptist Church, 901 Woodmore Lane, 6 p.m. Call church for tickets: 629-6106.

  • Colored Troops in the Civil War: Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, Visitor Center, 2 p.m., free, join ranger for talk about the 44th U.S. Colored Troops. 752-5213.

FEB. 26

  • Black History Concert: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 822 Belvoir Ave., 3-5 p.m., $5, Center for Creative Arts Vocal Music Department joins The Fisk Jubilee Singers for the performance.

FEB. 27

  • "American Masters: Cab Calloway Sketches": WTCI Channel 45, 10 p.m., PBS program on iconic Cotton Club singer, dancer and band leader.

  • Black History Game Show: Chattanooga State Community College cafeteria, 10 a.m., free, contestants test their knowledge of black history events and compete for prizes. 697-3371.

  • "Black/White and Brown": UTC University Center, Multicultural Center, 3 p.m., free, discussion follows movie on Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka. 425-4363.

  • "Blues In Performance at the White House": WTCI Channel 45, 9 p.m., special performance hosted by President and Mrs. Barack Obama featuring artists paying homage to great blues' singers.

FEB. 28

  • Documentary: UTC University Center auditorium, 6 p.m., free, "Reaching the Light: The story of the desegregation of the University of Chattanooga." 425-4363.

  • "Works by Duncan": Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. M.L. King Blvd., 6 p.m., free for center members, $7 nonmembers, closing reception for artist Isaac Duncan III and his exhibition, conversation with Duncan's mentor Richard Hunt. 266-8658

FEB. 29

  • "Our Story": UTC University Center auditorium, 8 p.m., free, Minority Mentorship students present original play about black history. 425-4363.

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