In celebration of Black History Month, Chatham Community Library will present the virtual performance, TAHIRA: The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity, on Saturday, February 13, 2021, at 2:00 PM via the library's YouTube channel.

A repeat showing will air on Saturday, February 27, 2021, at 2:00 PM, also on the library's YouTube channel.

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) has chosen "The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity" as the theme for the 2021 Black History Month celebration. The black family has been a topic of study in many disciplines—history, literature, the visual arts and film studies, sociology, anthropology, and social policy. Its representation, identity, and diversity have been reverenced, stereotyped, and vilified from the days of slavery to our own time. Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. The celebration began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. 

TAHIRA is a storyteller, musician, vocalist, songwriter and spoken word artist whose high-energy performances delight listeners of all ages. She delivers unique performances of original works, as well as traditional African and African American folklore. Her programs blend story and music, and are often punctuated by soul-stirring vocals, rhythmic guitar and pulsating drumming.

TAHIRA is a graduate of Temple University's School of Communication and Theatre, and a Delaware Division of the Arts Established Professional Fellow in Folk Art: Oral Literature. In addition to schools, libraries, and community organizations, TAHIRA has performed at World Café Live, the National Association of Black Storytellers Festival and Conference, and the internationally acclaimed festival, PANAFEST. 

An advocate of using the arts to bring about social change, TAHIRA believes that storytelling should inspire and educate.  Her mission as an artist is “…to shed light in dark places to reveal the brilliance of the human spirit."

Please contact the library at chathamlibrariesnc@gmail.com for additional information and to obtain a link to the performances.

This program is free and open to the public and is made possible by the generous support of the Friends of the Chatham Community Library.