black history month

Black By Popular Demand: Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s Black History Concert

January 13, 2026 By Amanda Delotelle

Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC) presents Black By Popular Demand—four powerhouse works that capture the heart of African American culture through movement. From the gospel celebration of In My Father’s House to the civil rights reflection of Martyr’s Road, from the ancestral rhythms of WAWA ABA to the intimate connections of Call(ing), this concert delivers the emotional range and artistic excellence audiences return for again and again.

Performance Details

Dates: SAT, FEB 28, 7:30 PM | SUN, MAR 1, 4:00 PM
Venue: Victoria Theatre, Downtown Dayton
Tickets: www.daytonlive.org/black-by-popular-demand | (937) 228-3630 | Dayton Live Box Office

Ticket levels:

A Level: $96
B Level: $84
C Level: $59
D Level: $44
E Level: $30
Discounts available for seniors, students, and educators upon request at the Dayton Live box office, by phone or online.

Group discounts are available to parties of 10 or more. Contact [email protected] to get more details.

MORE INFO BELOW

Black By Popular Demand celebrates Black life, love, and liberation through dance that reflects on history, speaks to the present, and carries forward a legacy born during the Civil Rights movement. Part of the Dancing in Our Light season, this concert invites audiences to witness artistry that resonates in the chest, connects generations, and reminds us why live performance changes everything. There’s something here for everyone—moments of joy, reflection, resilience, and triumph that leave the theatre buzzing.

In My Father’s House by Chief Executive & Artistic Director Debbie Blunden-Diggs’ transforms the Victoria Theatre into a sanctuary with Kirk Franklin’s unforgettable gospel sound.
Kevin Ward’s Martyr’s Road honors the unending march for justice through one family’s story.
Stafford C. Berry Jr.’s WAWA ABA pulses with neo-traditional African dance and communal energy.
Qarrianne Blayr’s Call(ing) reminds audiences to answer the call—from loved ones, from purpose, from community.

These are the works that make audiences lean forward in their seats, tap their feet to the beat, and feel their spirits stirred.

Black By Popular Demand: Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s Black History Concert

January 13, 2026 By Amanda Delotelle

Performance Details

Dates: SAT, FEB 28, 7:30 PM | SUN, MAR 1, 4:00 PM
Venue: Victoria Theatre, Downtown Dayton
Tickets: www.daytonlive.org/black-by-popular-demand | (937) 228-3630 | Dayton Live Box Office

Ticket levels:

A Level: $96
B Level: $84
C Level: $59
D Level: $44
E Level: $30
Discounts available for seniors, students, and educators upon request at the Dayton Live box office, by phone or online.

Group discounts are available to parties of 10 or more. Contact [email protected] to get more details.

MORE INFO BELOW

In My Father’s House by Chief Executive & Artistic Director Debbie Blunden-Diggs’ transforms the Victoria Theatre into a sanctuary with Kirk Franklin’s unforgettable gospel sound.
Kevin Ward’s Martyr’s Road honors the unending march for justice through one family’s story.
Stafford C. Berry Jr.’s WAWA ABA pulses with neo-traditional African dance and communal energy.
Qarrianne Blayr’s Call(ing) reminds audiences to answer the call—from loved ones, from purpose, from community.

These are the works that make audiences lean forward in their seats, tap their feet to the beat, and feel their spirits stirred.

RTA honors Rosa Parks and others during Black History Month

February 5, 2019 By Dayton Most Metro

It all started with a bus. The Greater Dayton RTA will honor civil rights icon Rosa Parks by reserving a seat in her name at the front of every bus as part of a celebration for Black History Month. All RTA fixed-route buses will have a seat reserved in honor of Rosa Parks through the month of February.

On Dec. 1, 1955, Mrs. Parks was sitting in the “colored” section toward the back of a bus in Montgomery, Ala. As the bus began to fill up, the driver ordered Mrs. Parks to give up her seat to a white passenger but she refused. The 42-year-old was arrested and briefly jailed for this refusal—which sparked an expansive bus boycott by the Montgomery Improvement Association. The MIA, led by civil rights newcomer Martin Luther King Jr., began the boycott on Dec. 5, 1955 when Mrs. Parks was found guilty of disorderly conduct and violating a local ordinance. Blacks were encouraged not to ride the bus, and many walked as far as 20 miles in support of the movement. The bus boycott lasted 381 days and officially ended when the city repealed its law requiring segregation on public buses, prompted by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Browder v. Gayle that this segregation was unconstitutional.

Mrs. Parks became an international symbol for civil disobedience and resistance to racial segregation, dedicating her life to the cause of civil rights. Her quiet strength made a seat available for everyone, everywhere. The agency would ask passengers to respect the sign reserving this seat, and also honor Mrs. Parks during Black History Month by choosing another place to sit in the interim.

A mural featuring lesser-known African Americans who helped shape the United States throughout history is also displayed for the month of February in the passenger concourse of Wright Stop Plaza at
4 S. Main Street in downtown Dayton.

Included on the mural are:

Amelia Robinson: “Bloody Sunday” marcher in Selma, Alabama

Bessie Coleman: First black female pilot

Claudette Colvin: Civil rights activist who helped end segregation on buses

Doris Miller: World War II and Pearl Harbor hero

Dr. Rebecca L. Crumpler: First black female doctor

Gladys West: Inventor of GPS

Irene Morgan Kirkaldy: Activist who helped end segregation on Greyhound buses

Matthew Henson: Explorer who was among first to reach the North Pole

Robert Smalls: Former slave who stole a Confederate ship; first black U.S. Congressman

Free Spirits: From the Mountain Top to the Jazz Hall + TICKET CONTEST

February 8, 2013 By Dayton937 3 Comments

Edison Eagles 2013

Every year, I become reinvigorated by the scope of Dr. Martin Luther King’s work. The profound nature of his spoken word and the intensity of his action bring clarity to what we as Americans can do to promote justice and engage peace. Dayton does a wonderful job with the holiday celebration! This year, Cityfolk is proud to be among the community organizations celebrating Black History Month and Dr. King’s legacy.

In partnership with Sinclair Community College’s Theatre and Dance Department, Cityfolk’s Culture Builds Community program is proud to present FREE SPIRITS: From the Mountain Top to the Jazz Hall, February 15 & 16 at Blair Theatre, Building 2, 8pm.

The performance runs just over an hour and is great for a family audience! Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students! Tickets are available at the door , through the Cityfolk website or by calling the Cityfolk box office at 496-3863

Cityfolk has always been known for jazz programs, especially those that educate audiences. We’ve merged our jazz initiative with CBC this winter, giving focus to one of the great jazz pianists and composers of her time, Mary Lou Williams. Duke Ellington described her work as “soul on soul.” Her distinctive style swings with both lush and spare instrumentation: a testament to the composer’s skill. The Free Spirits project is proud to feature young musicians from the jazz bands at Centerville high school and Stivers School for the Arts. This ensemble of 10 will provide live music for the program: a series of dances that bring beautiful expression to Dr. King’s deeply felt wisdom.

The project involves young dancers from Edison School, Omega Baptist Church, South Dayton Dance Theatre and Sinclair’s dance department. Also from Omega Baptist: an intergenerational group of singers are giving shape to some well-loved Gospel tunes that mark history as well. All of these aspects together bring a depth to this black history celebration.

Guest artists LaFrae Sci from Jazz at Lincoln Center and Jakari Sherman from Step Afrika are in town this final week, working with performers to sharpen skills and affirm the four-week residency commitment by 75 or so young artists. Kent Brooks, director of the Gospel choir at Wittenberg University, has prepared the singers for the project. He will also play the piano for selected dances during the performance. Erica Harvey of Stivers School for the Arts and David O’Connell of Centerville High School have led an outstanding group of teen musicians in preparation for Ms. Sci’s arrival. Jordan Daughtery of DCDC 2 has set Mr. Sherman’s choreography with the Edison students.

DeShona Pepper Robertson, Dance Magnet Director at Stivers, has choreographed a beautiful piece of liturgical dance with some of Mary Lou Williams’ sacred music, secured for us by LaFrae Sci. Interestingly, it is the priest and friend of Mary Lou Williams who holds the rights to her sacred music. Ms. Williams went through a spiritual crisis in the middle of her career, converting to Catholicism and bonding with the priest who later became her dear friend and spiritual guide. Choreographers also featured are Erin Robbins of South Dayton Dance Theatre and Denise Miller from Sinclair. Ceora and Cyrah Ward, student dancers from Stivers, are assisting Miss DeShona.

Rodney Veal, Artistic Director for the project, is thrilled with all the collaborative aspects of this project. “I am amazed at how the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and the music of Mary Lou Williams intersect and weave a compelling narrative for our times,” Veal says. “The young performers in the concert have embraced the theme of the show, celebrating tolerance and the beauty of community coming together. I’m hoping that people will gain an appreciation for the musical genius of Mary Lou Williams. This performance will showcase some amazing interpretations of her music.”

The One and the Many

Teaching tolerance and modeling peace through creativity, this robust group of artists are honoring the wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, hoping that all who witness the performance will resonate with the themes! Photographer, Glenna Jennings will show a number of photographs in the Blair Theatre lobby on the theme of Free Spirits. The piece included here (left) – The One and the Many – is a gorgeous example of Ms Jenning’s work with archival images from NCR, bringing Dayton history to new life!

Sponsors for this event include City of Dayton’s Human Relations Council, MetLife, DP & L Foundation, Dayton Foundation and Sinclair Community College.

Dayton Most Metro Ticket Contest

We have TWO PAIRS of tickets to give away for this concert! Simply fill out the form below and leave a comment saying that YOU want to win tickets from Dayton Most Metro to see FREE SPIRITS, and we’ll pick two random winners on Sunday 2/10 – GOOD LUCK!

CONTEST CLOSED

Congratulations to our winners!

Janie Hummel

Paul Fleitz

Dayton’s National Park Offers Free Films for Black History Month

February 17, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park will showcase two free documentaries in our Dunbar Theater on Saturday and Sunday, February 20, 21 and 27, 28.

● February 20 and 21 at 10:00am and 2:00pm – “The Tuskegee Airmen”

tuskegee-airmen This inspiring World War II story spotlights 450 men who fought on two fronts at once. Black American aviators, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, battled Axis powers in Europe and North Africa and then took on racism at home. Trained by the segregated military system as an experiment to see if blacks could fly in combat, these pilots made more than 15,000 sorties and 1,500 missions. Their success led to the integration of the U.S. armed forces.

untitled ● February 27 and 28 at 10:00am and 2:00pm – “Harlem Renaissance”
In the 1920s, African-American literature, art, music, dance, and social commentary flourished in Harlem, NY. This cultural movement redefined African-American expression. Music became the centerpiece that this movement was built around, launching an artistic awakening rather than a social revolt.