North Andover is celebrating Black History Month with a kick-off reception, rededication of the North Parish Unitarian Universalist hall and an Evening of Gospel.
The church is having the reception, beginning at 5 p.m., Friday, Feb. 2, at the church, 190 Academy Road, North Andover, followed by the dedication of the Cato & Lydia Freeman Hall at 5:45 p.m. For the reception, attendees are advised to use the Great Pond Road entrance.
The church says Cato and Lydia Freeman were longtime parishioners of the North Parish in the late 1700s to mid-1800, but were never afforded full privileges because they were Black.
The events include light refreshments, live music and speakers. Following the reception, An Evening of Gospel begins at 6:30 with music performed by four Merrimack Valley choirs joined by the award-winning Higher Praise Gospel Choir from Boston, in the historic 1836 Meetinghouse.
Additional events include a screening of the film “Ailey,” Friday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m., at the North Andover Historical Society; The Singing Souls of Black Folk, a lecture by Rev. Dr. Cheryl Townsend-Gilkes, Sunday, Feb. 11, 3 p.m., at the North Andover Historical Society; Concert with Oh, Glory, performed by James Dargan, Sunday, Feb. 18, 3 p.m., at the North Parish of North Andover; and Painting with a Purpose, a hands-on workshop for everyone led by Conchetta Jenifer and Miriah Payne, Sunday Feb. 25, 2 p.m., at the Stevens Memorial Library
Banners honoring 19 African Americans with local, regional or state connections will be displayed around the North Andover Common. These feature original artwork commissioned from Elevated Thought, an art and social justice non-profit based in Lawrence.