By Texas Metro News Staff
(Lt and Rt front) with other guests.
Tennell Atkins enjoy African dancers.
Credit staff photo.
All across Dallas and the nation, African American heritage was in full gear as descendants of Motherland Africa paid tribute to heritage and cultural assets on this last weekend of Black History Month.
Senior adults who regularly visit the innovative Singing Hills Recreation Center enjoyed invited guests, a meal, a culture-packed program, and the fun and glamour of sporting fashionable African clothing.
The assembled group also feasted on the pleasure of fellowshipping with a variety of guests, while all paused to knowledge from where they came and what their culture has overcome.
Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins hosted and moderated the event where more than 100 guests and dignitaries witnessed the energetic program. The occasion also honored two individuals for having a notable impact on the Dallas African American community and the city as a whole. They were presented the Black History Servant Leadership Award.
Those two individuals were Dr. Harry Robinson Jr. who recently retired as director of the African American Museum at Fair Park – an institution he founded more than 50 years ago in 1974 at the former Bishop College in Dallas. The museum moved to Fair Park and into a state-of-the-art building decades later in 1993.
The second individual was Ahmad Goree, who has distinguished himself as both a
government executive and an emerging community advocate with a heart for the people.
Goree is an economic development executive with the Small Business Administration’s Dallas/Fort Worth District Office. He works closely with small businesses seeking financial assistance from the government and has been a community spokesperson for the agency.
The audience showed enthusiastic responses to the lineup of entertainment that steeped with African American history and culture themes. Various artists displayed their talents in African drumming, dancing, singing, and poetry while musicians played additional instruments including the harp and guitar.
Local companies that presented talent and visual exhibits included Pan African
Connection Book Store and Resource Center and The Black Academy of Arts and Letters.
About a dozen corporations that helped co-sponsor the event included Atmos Energy, the City of Dallas, AT&T and Kroger.
