Annual Durham MLK/Black History Month Parade: 'I Still Have a Dream'

The 10th Annual Durham Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Parade kicks off on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 12:00 pm. This year’s theme is I ‘Still’ Have a Dream. The Grand Marshal of the Parade is Dr. Chuck Davis, founder and artistic director of the African American Dance Ensemble.

A Triangle native, Davis attended Howard University and majored in Theater/Dance. Continuing his study in African dance under the guidance of Babatunde Olatunji, Eleo Pomare, and the Bernice Johnson Dance Company, his reputation grew as one of the foremost teachers and accomplished choreographers in the traditional techniques of African dance. In 1982, the American Dance Festival of Durham, NC, recruited Davis as an Artist-in-Residence, to organize and manage its outreach program. From this effort sprung the African American Dance Ensemble in 1984.

The Parade, a multi-cultural, wholesome family-oriented event to be held in Black History Month, will pay homage to the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other great African Americans. The Parade also affords us an opportunity to reflect upon the past while seeking hope, determination and opportunity to act upon the promise of the future, OUR YOUTH.

Marching bands, floats, school and church groups, step and dance teams, horses, cars, motorcycles, unique vehicles, clowns and more will make Fayetteville Street a festive place to be. The Parade will line up at W. G. Pearson Elementary School (3501 Fayetteville Street), proceed up Fayetteville Street and end at Lawson and Fayetteville Streets (at NCCU).

Trophies will be presented for: Best in Parade, Best Theme Application, Best Marching Band. Ribbons will be awarded for: Schools with Most Participants, Non-school group with Most Participants, Best Drum Line, Best Drum Major, Best Mounted Group (Horses), Best Individual Vehicle, Best Commercial Vehicle, and Best Vehicle Club (includes motorcycles).

Judging will take place at the reviewing stand set up at NCCU Alumni House (2223 Fayetteville Street). The Parade will be videotaped and televised on a cable network.

The Durham MLK/Black History Month Parade has been named One of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society, an organization comprised of tourism industry professionals in 13 southeastern states.

2011 Annual Tribute Lucheon "A Huge Success"

The 2011 Annual Tribute Luncheon, held today at Bay 7 in American Tobacco for a sell-out crowd, was, according to Shelly Green, "A huge success."  Green is the President and CEO of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, the organization that produces the event each year.

Annually, the Tribute Luncheon honors individuals and groups who have helped shape and preserve Durham’s unique sense of place. This year it celebrates three Durham institutions and some of the individuals associated with them who have worked tirelessly and artfully to achieve greatness. Their organizations have become synonymous with Durham and they have made even richer the tapestry that comprises the fabric of Durham.

For 2011, the theme was "Great Rhythm. Great Blues." and showcased three of Durham's most enduring organizations: the African American Dance Ensemble, the American Dance Festival and the Bull Durham Blues Festival.

The African American Dance Ensemble expresses the rhythm of life and is more than a dance troupe. The ensemble is an agency of positive social change and reinforcement of the human values of peace, love and respect, as well as a world-renowned arts education organization.

The American Dance Festival has its hands on the pulse of modern American Dance. Relocating to Durham in 1978 from Connecticut, the festival floods Duke's campus each summer with about 500 dancers, choreographers, musicians, critics and scholars from around the globe.

Durham loves to sing the blues, but not the kind that speaks of bad luck, hard times and lost love. Showcasing an art form that is reflective of Durham’s rich musical heritage, the Piedmont or Carolina Blues style is upbeat, and just as likely to make listeners jump up and dance as shake their heads in reflection. For more than two decades, the Bull Durham Blues Festival has been held in Durham as a showcase of some of the finest contemporary blues artists today.

This event is produced annually and in the past has recognized the culinary arts, architecture, authors and civic organizations.  To see some images from today's event, click here, here and here.

The event is always a "who's who" of Durham and of the respective community being celebrated with today's event being no exception.  "Events like this help to remind us all how special Durham is, and why we are all so proud to be here," Green added.

Annual Tribute Lunch on Wednesday

This Wednesday, Bay 7 is going to come alive with music and dance as Durham celebrates its unique sense of place at The Annual Tribute Luncheon.  This year The African American Dance Ensemble, The American Dance Festival and The Bull Durham Blues Festival are taking the stage. The theme is Great Rhythm and Great Blues which ties directly into the dance and blues that make such an impact on Durham each year.

A few tickets were available at the time of writing, but like in years past, the event's host, the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, expects all tickets to sell.  The event is held annually and is invariably a great show of community support.

The Time is Now - Annual Tribute Luncheon Almost Sold Out

Good things come to those who…act now! The African American Dance Ensemble, the American Dance Festival and the Bull Durham Blues Festival have all enhanced Durham’s reputation as a center for the arts; now it’s your chance to celebrate them for all they’ve done.

Tickets for this year’s Annual Tribute Luncheon, Great Rhythm Great Blues, to be held on April 27th at American Tobacco’s Bay 7, are going fast! Order now, before they are sold out, and and join Durham in honoring these organizations that are an important piece of the tapestry that comprises Durham’s unique sense of place.