BP Antonio Reynoso’s Black History Month tradition returns with evening of rare African art, musical performances

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, on Monday, Feb. 24, commemorated Black History Month with “Brooklyn is Africa: Lineage & Power Through the Arts,” an annual event co-hosted with Eric Edwards and the Cultural Museum of African Art. 

In keeping with Black History Month’s national theme, “African Americans and Labor,” the event paid tribute to labor icon A. Philip Randolph with a special focus on the work songs that have powered Black resistance throughout history.

Black history is American history, said BP President Reynoso. “We have a duty to keep these stories and memories alive, and that is precisely the work Eric Edwards and the Cultural Museum of African Art lead every day. I’m proud to organize moments like these where Brooklynites can share art, music, and stories to honor our borough’s rich diaspora.”

Vocalists from A Song for Life started the event with an energizing performance of the Black National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing. Following remarks from Borough President Reynoso, Eric Edwards, and NYC Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Laurie Cumbo, the Noel Pointer Foundation String Ensemble accompanied Pastor Keyonn Wright-Sheppard in a tribute performance to A. Philip Randolph.

The Brooklyn High School of the Arts Jazz Ensemble performed crowd favorites, and guests later mingled among displays of rare African art. Chef Lex and the Brownsville Community Culinary Center provided food.

“Brooklyn Is Africa’ is the essential statement highlighting an area within a radius of a square mile which encompasses the cultural institutions of the Weeksville Heritage Center, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, the Brooklyn Museum’s Egyptian Collection, and the Cultural Museum of African Art, an area with the highest density of people of African descent within the nation! An area which embraces all the ethnicities of humanity,” said Dr. Eric Edwards, Founder and Executive Director of the Cultural Museum of African Art.

During the afternoon’s proceedings, BP Reynoso awarded Proclamations to the Noel Pointer Foundation, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and to the Cultural Museum of African Art, which is preserving the rich tapestry and culture of African art in New York City.

After two years at Brooklyn Borough Hall, the event was held for the first time at the Cultural Museum of African Art, which opened its doors to the public in Winter 2023.