Brookhaven's Black History Month Celebration Set For Feb. 2

FARMINGVILLE, NY — Brookhaven's Black History Commission will host the 33rd Annual Black History Night under the theme of African Americans and the Arts at Town Hall on Feb. 2, officials said in a news release.

The evening's program will include performances, art exhibits, a cultural food tasting, and the presentation of Academic Achievement Awards to Brookhaven's top 51 African American high school seniors from 10 school districts who achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher.

The festivities will kick off at 6 p.m.

The Black History Month Committee was formed in observance of Black History Month in 1991, and two years later, in 1993, the then-town board established a permanent Black History Commission to provide continuity in planning and organizing a Black History Night celebration each February.

The purpose of the celebrations is to acknowledge and honor the contributions of Black Americans, both nationally and locally, while fostering an appreciation for Black culture and heritage in the town's youth.

Recognizing that celebrating Black culture should not be limited to one specific month, the town board unanimously passed a resolution expanding and broadening the scope of the Black History Commission in 2014.

The first ever Juneteenth event hosted by the town on June 19, 2014, and has since become a new annual tradition.