February is Black History Month and Black History is everyone’s history. Black history is also the history of Black Excellence and the celebration of all the incredible black voices in the North Shore Community and beyond, both past and present. Editor’s Note: Celebrating Black History and Black Excellence extends beyond the month of February. Here is our roundup of organizations

Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy extends far beyond what can be shared on the third Monday in January each year. So, instead of limiting the amplification of his efforts to a single day, why not follow activists and leaders who are helping to carry his vision into the future? “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” Dr. Martin Luther

From Essex Art Center 20 January – 17 March 2022 | Free Admission In her first solo exhibition in the Merrimack Valley, artist Marla L. McLeod explores contemporary social issues and symbols of pride for BIPOC Americans through painting, textile, sculpture, and photography. Marla L. McLeod (b. 1981) is a mixed-race (African-American, White, and Native) artist born in California and

Images by Creative Collective Final Fridays at Lynn Museum kicked off their 2021 season on Friday, June 25th with a remix on “Art in the Park”. The event featured the artistic and creative talents of BIPOC artists from the Lynn community with a variety of visual artworks, spoken word and music performances, and more.Thank you to Edwin Cabrera and the

Images by Joey Phoenix for Creative Collective Queer Lynn Scene held their 2021 Lynn Pride Panel and Mixer on Wednesday, June 23rd at Lynn Museum/Lynn Arts. The panel consisted of members of the LGBTQ2IA+ Community in Lynn, including Marianthy Posadas Nava (she/they), Zan (they/them), Narong Sokhom (they/them), Jessica Beal (she/her), and moderator Cristian Recinos (any pronouns) Sounds for the mixer

Images by Creative Collective The Juneteenth Holiday was honored this week with the raising of the Juneteenth Flag in downtown Lynn. The Lynn Juneteenth Flag raising included words from Mayor Thomas McGee, Reverend Andre Bennett and NSJA President, Nicole McClain, accompanied by a performance of The Black National Anthem performed by Eva Davenport. Juneteenth is the oldest known freedom celebration

From The Artful Life Counseling Center and Studio On June 26, 2021 there will be a celebration of Black voices including Black authors, Black artists and more. This event is being organized by Artful Life in collaboration with North Shore Juneteenth Association. Celebrating Black Voices: Collaborative Collage and Book Fair will take place at the Artful Life Counseling Center and

From the North Shore Juneteenth Association Juneteenth falls every year on June 19th, and with so many cities across the commonwealth planning great events this month, there are lots of ways for you to show up and celebrate! What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth is an American Holiday that commemorates June 19, 1865, the date that enslaved Black people of Galveston, Texas,

Filled with Color is a Black-owned, woman and non-binary owned and operated floral and design house based in Lynn. On the floral side of things, their rich bouquets are luscious and vibrant, calling to mind pink sunset dawns, vintage postcard gardens, and the deep, luminescent sweetness of spring and early summer.  View their floral design offerings here.  Additional offerings include

by Joey Phoenix ReRooted: Presented by The HairStory Project is an offering that will stream live on Thursday, April 29th at 7:30pm from Museum of Science [Register Here]. The event is billed as a multimodal virtual production providing context for the ongoing debate of natural hair and celebrating the roots of African heritage. This project is made possible (in part)