Black History Month events kick off next week in Lynn Haven. Here's what to expect

Ebonee Burrell, The News Herald
·3 min read
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LYNN HAVEN — Black History Month events kick off on Monday for the city of Lynn Haven, and the public is invited to join friends, family and the community to help celebrate.

The city’s annual tradition is now in its fourth year and is actively growing, with several Black History Month events planned throughout the month. This year’s theme focuses on Black Resistance.

“These events are a time for our community to come together and recognize all the good that African Americans have contributed to our area and beyond,” said Lynn Haven City Manager Vickie Gainer. “It is also a way to pave an open and welcoming dialogue for discussing these inventors, politicians, artists, and activists who still may not be commonly known.”

Related:Panama City gears up for monthlong series of Black History Month events

Also:Art of the Possible, showcasing artists with disabilities, debuts in downtown Panama City

Keeping local rich history alive is one of the things the city aims to promote during Black History Month. As a response, the city displayed banners throughout Sharon Sheffield Park to highlight influential African American leaders of Lynn Haven and Bay County until the end of the month.

Meredith Sanders, the city’s marketing coordinator, said this year’s events include a mix of local and national African American history.

“We have a lot of neat events this year, and all of them are free and open to the public,” Sanders said. “We're super excited to have everyone come out to celebrate and learn about Black history in the local area.”

Banners are hung throughout Sharon Sheffield Park in Lynn Haven to highlight African American leaders in Bay County.
Banners are hung throughout Sharon Sheffield Park in Lynn Haven to highlight African American leaders in Bay County.

A closer look into the events

Starting next week, the city will host events every week in February.

Feb. 6: The city will showcase local artist Ricky Steele’s artwork at the Lynn Haven Senior Activity Club, 901 Pennsylvania Ave., from Feb 6-8. Steele will host a “Speak with the Artist Showcase” forum Monday from 4-6 p.m. at the club.

Feb. 13: The city will recognize Leon Miller, who was the city’s first Black commissioner and the first person to celebrate Black History Month in Lynn Haven. On Jan. 24, Mayor Jesse Nelson declared the second Monday of every February to be "Leon Miller Day." The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Lynn Haven Garden Club, 307 Ohio Ave., followed by a town hall meeting where Mayor Nelson will speak about public safety.

Feb. 16: The fourth annual Community Health Fair will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Senior Activity Club. The health fair is a free community event designed to encourage healthy lifestyles, preventative care and disease management, and to connect the public to health resources.

Feb. 17: Residents are invited to attend a Movie in the Park event at Sharon Sheffield Park, 901 Ohio Ave., that includes a free showing of Marvel’s "Black Panther." Attendees are asked to come out at 5:30 p.m., with the movie beginning at 6 p.m. Free popcorn and drinks will be provided while supplies last.

Feb. 21: The famous “Blacks in Wax Museum” will travel to the Senior Activity Club to display Famous Black American wax figures. The exhibit will be on display from Feb. 21-24 and guest speaker Dr. Joanne Martin will give a presentation on the museum’s 2023 theme, “Being Literate, Being Free,” Feb. 21 from 5-7 p.m.

Blacks in Wax, a traveling exhibit, will display famous Black Americans in wax figures from Feb. 21-24 at the Senior Activity Club.
Blacks in Wax, a traveling exhibit, will display famous Black Americans in wax figures from Feb. 21-24 at the Senior Activity Club.

Feb. 27-28: Closing Black History Month presentations will commence at the Senior Activity Club. The event will focus on youth talents by displaying and recognizing artwork and writings from Black History Month projects created by local students, such as photographs, artifacts and documents.

The exhibits will be open to the public both days from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

A closing reception will take place at 2 p.m. Feb. 28, where light refreshments will be provided along with a guest speaker. Also, first-, second- and third-place prizes for artwork and writing will be awarded to students during the reception.

For more information about Lynn Haven’s Black History Month events, visit www.cityoflynnhaven.com.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Black History Month events kick off next week in Lynn Haven