By Kirsten Fuller, Managing Editor
The renowned Ensemble Theatre of Houston, Texas will kick off the second week of the Black History Month celebration at Lone Star College-Kingwood with a musical performance of Mahalia.
“Mahalia is probably one of the most famous gospel singers of all time, as well as being very instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement and was one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s good friends,” said Kristen Johnson, co-chair of the Black History Month committee which is part of the Intercultural Center.
Mahalia “is a joyous celebration of the life and music of the world’s greatest gospel singer: a humble, deeply religious woman whose expressive, full throated voice carried her from a three room shanty in New Orleans to appearances before presidents and royalty,” according to the musical’s publishers, Samuel French found on the Ensemble Theatre’s website. The Ensemble Theatre is Houston’s only African American theater group, founded in 1976. The theater’s mission is “to preserve African American artistic expression and enlighten, entertain and enrich a diverse community.”
The play is one of the first several events celebrating Black History Month.
Black History Month starts for Lone Star College-Kingwood on February 2 sponsored by LSC-Kingwood’s Intercultural Center, which has established a Black History Month Committee. This voluntary committee is made up of LSC-Kingwood staff and faculty members: : Kristen Johnson (Co-Chair), Tracie Kamenoff (Co-Chair), Okera Bishop, Stephanie Kelly, Roger Chambers and Alfred Dorsey. They have coordinated five major events to honor Black History Month with two keynote speakers, a movie screening, and Mahalia: A Gospel Musical.
The official flier Black History Month upcoming Events for LSC-Kingwood starting Feb. 2 hosted by the Intercultural Center and Black History Month Committee.
Mahalia will be performed on LSC-Kingwood’s campus for one night only by The Ensemble Theatre of Houston, Texas. The admission is free and the performance is open to the public for viewing on February 7 at 7:30 p.m.
When asked what Black History month meant to her, Johnson stated that, “As the Director of Diversity and Equity, it is my job to make sure that everyone feels included, but it’s also my job to make sure we are educated…We can’t be culturally competent if we don’t know history. For me, I think it’s awesome being able to see students transform through this process or by attending these events and them saying, ‘Oh wow, I never knew that happened,’ or ‘You know, let me have a conversation with my peers, and maybe I can do something to change the world!’”
LSC-Kingwood Director of Diversity And Equity, Kristen Johnson serves as Black History Month Committee’s Co-Chair. She handles all of the logistics for the upcoming events in celebration of Black History Month.