The American Museum of Natural History Presents GIVE YOUR VOICE: HONOR BLACK HISTORY, 2/8

The American Museum of Natural Historycelebrates Black History Month with Give Your Voice: Honor Black History on Saturday, February 8, from noon to 5 pm. The festivities, which include family-friendly activities and live musical performances, arepresented in association with Community Works and New Heritage Theatre Group. The program will include the world premiere of new works and special arrangements composed for the Young People's Chorus of New York City by NEA Jazz Master Delfeayo Marsalis with the support of the American Museum of Natural History.

Hosted by television journalist and fashion model Gail O'Neill, the Museum's celebration features artists whose unique voices are helping to define some of this country's most dynamic cultural expressions: Camille A. Brown & Dancers; composer-pianist Samora Abayomi Pinderhughes; the award-winning Young People's Chorus of New York City with Francisco J. Núñez, Artistic Director/Founder, The New Orleans Swamp Donkeys Traditional Jass Band; and returning favorites Delfeayo Marsalis with special guest Darryl "DMC" McDaniels of the multi-platinum hip-hop group Run-DMC.

The day's activities, performers, and artists include:

• 12 pm, 1 pm, and 2 pm in the Hall of Birds of the World: Mayte Natalio and Francine E. Ott, ensemble members of Camille A. Brown and Dancers, will run dance workshops rooted in African/African-American traditions.
• Noon in the Hall of African Peoples: Alex de Voogt, assistant curator, Division of Anthropology, and mancala scholar, will lead his ever-popular mancala game-playing sessions.
• 4 pm in the LeFrak Theater: The Young People's Chorus of New York City and the Delfeayo Marsalis Sextet will perform five works composed by Delfeayo Marsalis, including two world premieres. One of these, Dream on Robben, was inspired by the life of Nelson Mandela. The sextet will be joined onstage by Darryl "DMC" McDaniels.
• 5 pm in the LeFrak Theater: The New Orleans Swamp Donkeys Traditional Jass Band will lead a celebratory, second-line parade, followed by a meet-and-greet and CD- signing with all of the artists.

Support for Global Weekends is provided, in part, by the Sidney, Milton and Leoma Simon Foundation, the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, Inc., the family of Frederick H. Leonhardt, and the Weinig Foundation.

Give Your Voice: Honor Black History is co-presented by Community Works and New Heritage Theatre Group.

American Museum of Natural History (amnh.org)

The American Museum of Natural History, founded in 1869, is one of the world¹s preeminent scientific, educational, and cultural institutions. The Museum encompasses 45 permanent exhibition halls, including the Rose Center for Earth and Space and the Hayden Planetarium, as well as galleries for temporary exhibitions. It is home to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial, New York State's official memorial to its 33rd governor and the nation's 26th president, and a tribute to Roosevelt's enduring legacy of conservation. The Museum's five active research divisions and three cross-disciplinary centers support 200 scientists, whose work draws on a world-class permanent collection of more than 32 million specimens and artifacts, as well as specialized collections for frozen tissue and genomic and astrophysical data, and one of the largest natural history libraries in the world. Through its Richard Gilder Graduate School, it is the only American museum authorized to grant the Ph.D. degree. In 2012, the Museum began offering a pilot Master of Arts in Teaching program with a specialization in Earth science. Approximately 5 million visitors from around the world came to the Museum last year, and its exhibitions and Space Shows can be seen in venues on five continents. The Museum's website and collection of apps for mobile devices extend its collections, exhibitions, and educational programs to millions more beyond its walls. Visit amnh.org for more information.

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