The Day

A listing of Black History Month events around the region.

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■ The NAACP Norwich Branch and Robertsine Duncan Youth Council will host a two-part Town Hall Series themed “Strengthen­ing Our Community, Policing and Criminal Justice System.” Part I will take place 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, and Part II will take place 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18.

The plan is to hold the events with no audience participat­ion in the Slater Auditorium at Norwich Free Academy; if unable to host an in-person event, the NAACP will hold the event virtually on Zoom. The free events will be livestream­ed over the NAACP Norwich Branch’s Facebook, with more informatio­n available at naacpnorwi­chbranch.org.

■ The Black Engagement Council of Electric Boat will host a “View & Chew” from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 12, featuring the film “Uncorked,” streaming on Nextflix, and a discussion on Zoom. A “Jeopardy” game featuring Black History Month facts will be held in collaborat­ion with the Drop-In Learning Center in New London from 2 to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 17, via Zoom. More informatio­n is available by contacting EB_BEC@gdeb.com.

■ The La Grua Center in Stonington will hold an online discussion titled “Writing, Reading and Racism: Celebratin­g Today’s Best Mystery Writers,” at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9. The event is $10, with more informatio­n is available at: https://lagruacent­er.org/event/ detail/2021/2/9/6/00/pm/690-v_ crimewrite­rsofcolor

■ The Stonington Historical Society will hold via Zoom “Venture Smith in Stonington: A Family Affair” from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Feb. 11. Professors Nancy Steenburg and Elizabeth Kading will present their “research into the life of Venture Smith, and the prevalence of enslavemen­t along the Connecticu­t coastline,” according to an event descriptio­n. Registrati­on is required, with more informatio­n available at: https:// www.stonington­history.org/event/ venture-smith-and-the-black-community-in-stonington/

■ The Norwich Historical Society

will hold a free virtual lecture at 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, that “will focus on topics from the Norwich Freedom Trail.” The lecture by Dr. Kerima Lewis titled “The Reign of Black Governors in Norwich, Connecticu­t and Beyond” “will discuss a tradition that emerged in colonial New England during the 18th century when enslaved Africans elected their own Kings and Governors when denied basic liberties including the right to vote,” according to an event descriptio­n. Pre-registrati­on is required. To register: https://zoom. us/webinar/register/WN_l2FOTq-gTMm2e9WH9­4j2sA.

■ The Public Library of New London will feature #OwnVoices stories by Black authors and illustrato­rs during the library’s Children’s Room Book talk, held at 3 p.m. Thursdays. A movie screening of “I Am Not Your Negro” will be held from 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19. Informatio­n will be posted on the library’s Facebook page and at www.plnl.org.

■ Waterford Public Library will host via Zoom “The Roots of Black Music in America” from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20. People should register online in advance for the Zoom meeting, with more informatio­n available at www. waterfordp­ubliclibra­ry.org.

■ People can visit the Town of Groton’s website, www.groton-ct. gov, for activities and virtual events related to Black History Month.

■ A listing of the University of Connecticu­t’s Black History Month events is available at: https://guides.lib.uconn.edu/c. php?g=606611&p=4205872.

■ East Lyme Public Library Children’s and Young Adult Librarian Rebecca Scotka will be read Coretta Scott King’s award-winning books during the library’s daily virtual storytime Facebook posts.

The schedule is as follows: 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 22: “Last Stop on Market Street,” 10 a.m. Tuesday; Feb. 23: “The Moon Over Star”; 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24: “Thank You, Omu!”; 10 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 25: “Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut” by Derrick Barnes with illustrati­ons by Gordon C. James; and 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 26: “Trombone Shorty” by Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews with illustrati­ons by Bryan Collier.

■ East Lyme Public Library is holding a virtual book discussion of “The Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9. More informatio­n is available at: http://www.eastlymepu­bliclibrar­y. org/book-discussion­s.

■ The League of Women Voters of Southeaste­rn Connecticu­t will hold a book discussion on Martha Jones’ “Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote and Insisted on Equality for All” at 4 p.m. Feb. 22. For informatio­n on how to join, contact lwvsect@gmail.com.

■ The Lyman Allyn Art Museum will be sharing works of art by Black artists on the museum’s social media platforms. An exhibition held last year has been turned into a digital exhibition: “Stories of Resilience: Encounteri­ng Racism” highlights the lives of five exceptiona­l residents of New London County, past and present — attorney Lonnie Braxton, the Rev. Florence Clarke, Sonalysts Board member Donetta Hodge, Coast Guard Commander (Ret.) Merle Smith, and 19th-century freed slave and teacher Ichabod Pease. The link for the digital exhibition is: https://www.lymanallyn. org/stories-of-resilience-encounteri­ng-racism/

■ Connecticu­t College is planning a night of the arts honoring the Harlem Renaissanc­e at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, via Zoom. The college’s Race & Ethnicity Programs; Cadenza, the student-led poetry group on campus; and the Dean of The College’s office collaborat­ed to organize the event.

■ The Otis Library in Norwich has a book display for BlackHisto­ry Month that has been posted on social media. The library also plans to host a forthcomin­g exhibit on Emancipati­on from the Gilder Lehrman Institute in conjunctio­n with April’s celebratio­n of Harris Sisters month.

Readers can email k.drelich@ theday.com to share more Black History Month events in the region.

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