The Wisconsin Black Arts Festival is back for a second year. The three-day celebration offers a variety of live performances and vendors. Friday, Feb. 2, will feature the Soul Lounge show, hosted by event coordinator and Wisconsin African American Women’s Center representative Adisa Lumumba. Held on two stages, this event will present a total of six performers including music by the Ina Onilu Drum and Dance Ensemble, poetry by Chicago native Ollie “Hood Raised” Woods, and local performers Tebe Zalango, RJ Riddle, Elle Renee and J’Mika. The Soul Lounge is a 21+ event that begins at 8 p.m.
On Saturday, Feb. 3, the festival directs its focus toward youth. Admission is free for children 12 and under. Milwaukee songwriter Jahbarri Bradshaw hosts the Youth Stage with a variety of hands-on activities for children of all ages to enjoy, including live music, games, storytelling, as well as arts and crafts. All activities are geared to help guide the youth to a deeper awareness of their ancestral roots and to heighten their creativity. The Youth Stage runs from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.
The last day of the festival is dedicated to fashion, food and praise music. The fashion show will feature some of Milwaukee’s finest designers. These artists gain their inspiration from a range of sources, from Afrocentric patterns to alternative fashions. Food will be provided on all three days of the festival by Men Who Cook with items sold for either $3 or $7 a piece. Hosted by Delvyn Crawford, the Sunday Gospel Concert closes the festival in song and praise starting at 11 a.m.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
Ruben Hopkins, the CEO and chairman of the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce, spoke about why he created the festival. “We have an issue of restoring our culture, where our culture exists beyond the month of February,” says Hopkins. A Milwaukee native, Hopkins could not help but notice how black money never stays in the black community. “We deserve the same quality of life in our community as is seen in other communities,” he says. A few years ago, Hopkins reached out to the Wisconsin African American Women’s Center with the idea to co-sponsor a black arts festival. The festival would serve as a tool to unify the black community and shine a positive light on it. Hopkins created the festival, he says, “out of need.”
The co-sponsoring organizations are addressing the lack of black people’s financial investment and ownership in their community. This festival creates an opportunity for building black entrepreneurship. It opens a platform for black entrepreneurs to connect and build future ideas for their own community. “To change the disparity, we must see the shift of ownership within the black community,” Hopkins concludes. “We aim to see a positive change in these neighborhoods when black business and ownership become more prominent within the community.”
The festival runs Feb. 2-4 at the Wisconsin African American Women’s Center, 3020 W. Vliet St. To register, visit business.twbcc.com.
