RISE, formerly known as Jazzanooga, announces a series of performances and events this month in celebration of Black History Month. The events were selected to embrace the diversity and culture of black people.
"Representation Matters is our theme, because those of us who are not white have more difficulty finding positive depictions of ourselves in entertainment, media and the news," said Shane Morrow, RISE director and co-founder.
"Showcasing positive cultural stereotypes of black and brown people is not just for us to feel seen and understood, but also for others who need to see and understand us. I'm so excited to partner with the Chattanooga Public Library to host a series of movies that feature our diverse culture."
BLACK HISTORY MONTH FAMILY FILMS
(All begin at 2 p.m. on the second floor of the Chattanooga Public Library, 1001 Broad St.)› Feb. 8: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”› Feb. 15: “Hidden Figures”› Feb. 22: “The Princess and the Frog”› Feb. 29: “Black Panther”
Library Operations Manager Jacklyn Anderson says RISE has "developed a diverse program that engages all ages, and we are more than happy to have our public resources play a role in that."
In addition to the family film series each Saturday afternoon this month (see accompanying list), RISE will also host several community events.
* Friday, Feb. 7: Piano Day at Chattanooga Public Library, 1001 Broad St., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Songs and music celebrating Black History Month featuring performances from local pianists.
* Saturday, Feb. 15: Rooted In Color Kid's Tour, Association for Visual Arts, 30 Frazier Ave., 1-3 p.m. Tour for middle and high school students through the AVA collection to learn information about each piece, followed by a creative interpretation activity.
* Sunday, Feb. 16: To China with Love, RISE Arts Space, 804 Central Ave., 4-6 p.m. In November, RISE sponsored seven local artists to Wuxi, China, one of Chattanooga's sister cities, to perform at the 21st China Shanghai International Arts Festival. These travelers will perform some of their songs and share their overall experience, moderated by Gregory L. Funderburg.
* Thursday, Feb. 20: Amplify podcast for Chattanooga Creatives of Color, The Camp House, 149 E. M.L. King Blvd., 5:30-7:30 p.m. Public announcement/event of Chattanooga's newest podcast network featuring engaging stories from Chattanooga's Creatives of Color.
* Friday, Feb. 21: The Love Experience Hosted by Rebecca Love, RISE Arts Space, 804 Central Ave., 6:30-9:30 p.m. A social-networking, speed-dating event exclusively for Chattanooga's young professionals ages 25 and up.
* Saturday, Feb. 22: Courtney Reid: Gettin' Back to Music, 804 Central Ave., 8-10 p.m. Limited seating at this free event to hear Reid's newest project.
* Saturday, Feb. 29: Big Nine Walking Tour – The Green Book Edition, 10:30 a.m. Join RISE for a walking tour of the MLK neighborhood featuring its cultural and musical history, historic buildings and public art.
For more information: https://www.risecha.org/test-home