Events THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE

FEBRUARY 16

“Love and Resistance” –An Evening of Poetry and Conversation

Join Diannely Antigua, who is both the youngest and the first person of color to be named Poet Laureate of Portsmouth, NH, and Ben Bacote, founder and director of NH PANTHER, writer, activist, and humanities teacher, for an evening of poetry and conversation. Antigua and Bacote will share selections by BIPOC writers touching on the themes of love and resistance, and discuss the intersections of poetry and activism through the lens of their personal experiences. Additionally, Antigua will record the event, to be featured on her podcast, Bread & Poetry. This is intended to be an immersive arts experience. Expected outcomes are a rich and fuller appreciation

FEBRUARY 25 of, and, for BIPOC voices, “resistance activism” (poetry, culture), as well as for the presenters themselves. Open to all. 6pm-7:30pm at Plymouth State University, in the Hub Hage Room Hosted by the Plymouth Area Network To Help End Racism nhpanther.org

“Speak It Into Existence: Expanding Black Youth’s Definition of Excellence in New Hampshire”

This concluding session of BLM Seacoast’s Black Excellence Conference at UNH will be hosted by Diannely Antigua who will lead a panel of three 2022 Black Excellence Fund & Storytelling Project Community Grant recipients. Through insightful questions, storytelling, and nuanced conversation, Antigua will lead panelists to discuss Black Excellence, expanding and showcasing it through the lens of their individual lived experiences here in New Hampshire.

The Black Excellence Fund & Storytelling Project provides unrestricted community grants directly to young (under 35) Black and BIPOC individuals across all disciplines who are striving to embody excellence against the tides of systemic oppression. Recipients were nominated by a peer or community member in 2022 and received an unrestricted $5,000 community grant. 2022’s recipients are: Akon Nakdimo of Manchester, NH, Niamiah Perry of Concord, NH, and Ronelle Tshiela of Manchester, NH. Hosted by the Plymouth Area Network To Help End Racism nhpanther.org

To submit multicultural or changemaker events for the next issue, send them to editors@603diversity.com.

MARCH 3

Rhapsody in Black

The Capital Center for the Arts in Concord will showcase a remarkable stage experience written and performed by LeLand Gantt and developed at NYC’s Actors Studio with Estelle Parsons. Rhapsody in Black is a one-man show that explores LeLand’s personal journey to understanding and eventually transcending racism in America. We follow his spellbinding life story — from an underprivileged childhood in the ghettos of McKeesport, Pennsylvania to teenage experiments with crime and drugs to scholastic achievement and an acting career that lands adult LeLand in situations where he is virtually the only African-American in the room. How he manages to cope with the various psychological effects of consistently being marked “The Other” is recounted in remarkable and exquisitely moving detail, guaranteed to leave lasting impressions.

Doors open at 6 p.m. Show starts at 7 p.m. (Recommended age 18+) Information at Ccanh.com

March 5

Tea Talk “Exploring the Heart of Cross-Racial Conversation”

This presentation will be held at the Portsmouth Public Library from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. as part of the 2023 Tea Talks Lecture Series. This panel will explore what happens when racialized groups begin to dialogue. Panelists will discuss the myth of the model minority, what happens when language is used as a social construct to divide, and what happens when the American racial hierarchy forces one to choose a particular identity or culture over another. How can we speak openly and honestly in cross-racial conversations?

For more information about all of the 2023 Tea Talks Series lectures, please visit blackheritagetrailnh.org

MARCH 12

Tea Talk “Youth to Power: Black Female Activists”

This will conclude the 2023 Tea Talks Series at Temple Israel in Portsmouth from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Black Women have been leaders in this country for centuries as abolitionists, voting rights advocates, college founders, civil rights defenders, labor leaders, entrepreneurs, and more. Often, their work to overcome race and gender stereotypes has been seen as unusual or magical, serving to minimize their labor and talent. This closing discussion will feature a group of young BIPOC women exploring where we are culturally as a state and where we want to be heading. Panelists will share how their activism is shaping their world view and hopes for the future.

For more information about all of the 2023 Tea Talks Series lectures, please visit blackheritagetrailnh.org

APRIL 6

The Bell and Brick Concert Series presents the Andriana Gnap Band

The Belknap Mill in Laconia presents an evening with Andriana Gnap, an American born singer/songwriter with a strong connection to her Ukrainian heritage. She has appeared as a vocalist, violinist, and dancer in theater and musical productions throughout the U.S. and Canada. Her original music can be heard on international radio and streaming programs. She is known for smooth, heartfelt vocals and moving ballads. While Andriana enjoys performing folk, country, pop, and other styles of music, traditional Ukrainian songs remain closest to her heart. She will share a variety of cover tunes (Sarah McLachlan, Alison Krauss, Nora Jones style) and original songs with you.

Showtime is 7 p.m.

More at Belknapmill.org

APRIL 22

“All My Friends are in This Show”

“All My Friends are in This Show,” at Kimball Jenkins in Concord is an inclusive, interactive, engaging and bold curation of innovative artists from California and New Hampshire who actively shape their communities. The event will be held on April 22 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and express a new normal for the arts, modernizing the notion of artistic expression and engagement. The show will run from April 20 to June 30. Contact connect@ kimballjenkins.com for more.