By Francis Taylor, Executive Editor
Entertainment Schedule
The City of Inglewood hosted its annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration on Saturday, February 24, 2024. The King Fest Family Festival was held along downtown Market Street, from Regent Street to Nutwood Street. The well-attended family event featured local elected officials, commercial vendors, interactive games, food booths, food trucks, health screenings and two stages with live entertainment.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters was on hand to welcome Festival attendees young and old, pictured here with Michael Taylor, Jr. age 7.
The theme for Black History Month this year is “African Americans and the Arts.” African American Artists including poets, writers, visual artists and dancers, have historically served as change agents through their crafts and a bevy of them were on display at this year’s Inglewood event.
Drawn from their ancestors’ ancient rites of passage and the shared hopes of liberty, Black Artists continue to fuse the rhythmic cadence of creative expressions with the pulsating beats of progress. The event celebrated the theme for Black History Month 2024 by highlighting the ‘art of resistance’ and the artists who used their crafts to uplift the race, speak truth to power and inspire a nation.
From African American Opera singers and authentic African Dancers to Dancers and Spoken Word Artists and fashion designers, the festival provided live performances for everyone. Midway through the festival, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who was observed in the crowd patiently taking pictures with anxious constituents, was introduced on the Nutwood Stage and she greeted the audience. She was followed by Inglewood City Council Members.
The Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD) participated in the Inglewood Festival through the much-anticipated K-12 Art Expression Showcase. Their Art Expression and Literacy event was hosted by the District’s State and Federal Programs department and generously sponsored by the Inglewood Educational Foundation. This event stood as a testament to the district’s commitment to nurturing creativity and cultural awareness among our diverse student body and explored the incredible talents of their students in their art exhibit.
Finally, the words of Carter C. Woodson, Historian and Founder of Black History Month, permeated this year’s festival. “Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”
