50s church attire — conservative with hat and gloves.
The gymnasium at Dr. Charles L. Drew Elementary School is humming with activity for the “Feel the Heritage Festival” on Feb. 21. The event is celebrating 100 years of Black history in Arlington dating back to 1926.
The stage in the gymnasium at Drew Elementary has a full afternoon program of entertainment including a Black fashion show showcasing fashion for the last 100 years, a demonstration of ballroom dancing, seniors on step and drummers. Along the side of the gym a buffet line is set up offering a half slab of ribs, pulled pork, a chicken sandwich and the most popular whitefish dinner.
On the other side of the wall the space is packed with artisans and with community organizations like Encore, AFAC, Bike Share and the National Council of Negro Women.
The Arlington Sheriff’s Office has a display of Black leaders accompanied by an 11-question quiz. “What civil rights demonstrations took place in Arlington on June 9, 1960?”
Just inside the door of the community center several children have chosen to try inventing their own video games in the tradition of Jerry Lawson, an African-American engineer who helped create the first video game system that used interchangeable cartridges.
This celebration marks the 100-year history which began as Negro History Week in 1926 and was expanded to National Black History Month in 1976. It marks the struggles and the achievements of Black Americans across many fields of science, education, entertainment and the arts.
