Not In Our Town Princeton

Want to plan ahead for Black History Month?  The list below has information on a selection of activities in the Princeton area.

 January 30, 2020, 7:00  – 9:00 PM, Princeton Public Library

Lecture: “Palmer Square: A History”

Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood historian Shirley Satterfield gives a presentation on the history of Palmer Square and the lasting effect of urban renewal on Princeton’s African-American community. Historic photographs and documents from the Historical Society of Princeton will be featured.

January 31, 2020, 6:00 – 8:00 PM, Princeton Public Library

Film: “Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am”

This documentary examines the life of American novelist, essayist, editor, teacher, and professor emeritus at Princeton University Toni Morrison who died last year at the age of 88. Morrison was the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature and is known for her nuanced discussion of race in America. Through the use of archival material, art and interviews with Oprah Winfrey, Angela Davis and Morrison herself, the film presents pieces of Morrison’s life, from her childhood in the working-class steel town of Lorain, Ohio, to her journey as a novelist and public intellectual. 1 hour, 59 minutes.

February 1, 2020, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Princeton Public Library African American Read-In

The African American Read-In, an event dedicated to diversity in literature, is presented in partnership with Princeton Public Schools. Please check back for updates and more events as the month approaches.

11 AM Poet Khalil Murrell talks about his journey to becoming a poet, reads from his work, and takes audience questions.

Noon. Student performance: ACT-SO (Academic, Cultural, Technological, & Scientific Olympics)

1:15 PM Books Transform | An Inter-generational Presentation on the African American books that have been meaningful and/or transformative to members of our community.

February 2, 2020, 4:00 – 5:00 PM, Princeton Public Library

Concert: “Comes Love: The Songs of Billie Holiday.” Demetria Joyce Bailey performs the songs that Billie Holiday loved to sing including hits such as “God Bless the Child” and “Lover Man” and lesser-known selections including “Gloomy Sunday” and “Did I Remember.” Bailey, an actress on the stage and screen, possesses a powerful vocal range and sings old-school jazz and blues in the tradition of Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan.

February 3, 2020, 7:00 – 8:30 PM, Princeton Public Library

Continuing Conversations on Race and White Privilege: The Green Book: An American Journey Through White Racism. Covers how the denial of equal accommodation for all Americans stimulated resistance, initiated lawsuits, created a travel guide and nurtured an entrepreneurial class that built new businesses to provide those accommodations.

February 6, 2020, 5:15 PM, Ujima Village Christian Church, Ewing

New Jersey Historical Commission Listening Session in Preparation for Observance of the 250th Anniversary of the United States in 2026. The New Jersey Historical Commission is gathering members of the African American community to hear their thoughts and needs related to our state’s observance of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States in 2026.

February 6, 2020, 6:00 PM, Nassau Presbyterian Church 61 Nassau St, Princeton

Black History Month Concert, Trenton Children’s Chorus.  An evening celebrating African-American heritage and culture featuring Trenton Children’s Chorus and the renowned Westminster Jubilee Singers.

February 7, 2020, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM, Ellarslie Museum, Cadwalader Park, Trenton, NJ

City of Trenton, Black History Month Celebration: Jazz Poetry Art. Contact: 609-989-3369

February 10, 2020, 7:00 – 8:30 PM, Princeton Public Library

Authors Elaine Buck and Beverly Mills: “A Proud Heritage: The African American Presence and Contribution in the Sourland Mountain Region and Surrounding Areas”

February 15, 2020, 8 AM – 4 PM, at Rutgers University-Newark.

Marian Thompson Wright Conference, “Black Futures: What Seems to Be, Need Not Be.”  For additional information https://www.newark.rutgers.edu/news/save-date-feb-15-2020-marion-thompson-wright-mtw-lecture-series

February 16, 11:45 AM – 1:30 PM, Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church, 112 Witherspoon St., Princeton

Book Discussion: Why We Can’t Wait by Martin Luther King Jr.

February 19, 2020, 7:00 – 8:30 PM, Princeton Public Library

Documentary: “How Jack Became Black.”                                                                         Filmmaker Eli Steele explores issues of race and identity politics inspired by his own experiences and those faced by his children. Part of the third multiracial generation in his family, Steele’s son, Jack, was denied entry to a public school after Steele refused to check a box identifying his ethnicity. 1 hour, 24 minutes.

February 20, 2020, 7:30 PM, Princeton Garden Theatre

Film “Justice on Trial.”  Civil rights attorneys sue Justice Department for reparations with historic figures as witnesses.  Discussion and Q&A with filmmaker Chad Cooper and his father, Justice Lubbie Harper, Jr.

February 22, 2020, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Hopewell Presbyterian Church, Hopewell

Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum Gospel Brunch, featuring Eric Gambre’ll, an award winning gospel recording artist, Laticia Lewis, Violinist, and Bertha Morgan, Soloist, from the Christ Baptist Church of Burlington, NJ.

February 24, 2020, 6:30 PM, Princeton Public Library

Discussion of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Why We Can’t Wait facilitated by Joyce Trotman-Jordan.

February 28, 2020, 6:00 PM, Trenton City Hall, 319 East State St., Trenton

Black History Month Movie Night. A movie night featuring a curated film chosen to educate, enlighten, and expose the community to the vast contributions and impact of the African American community.
Refreshments will be served. Please contact the City Clerk’s office at 609-989-3190 with any questions.