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PRESS RELEASE

Above: Performers showcase music and dance at the 2025 "Black Mosaic" event, which celebrates and honors the rich history and contributions of the Black community.

Long Beach, CA - This Black History Month, the City of Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine (PRM) will once again host performances of "Black Mosaic," a free music and dance showcase that celebrates and honors the history and contributions of the Black community - this year featuring local elementary school students. The community is encouraged to attend one of three performances happening this month.

"This year, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, it is inspiring to see our local youth bring the stories of Black culture and history to life," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "These performances remind us that this history is living and carried forward by the next generation as we build a more inclusive future together."

"Black Mosaic" is a collection of literature, poetry, music and plays that illuminate the richness of Black history and culture through creative and engaging performances by professionally trained actors and, new this year, local youth just learning the art of acting. Students from Burbank Elementary School's LB WRAP After School Program join this year's cast, providing them the opportunity to express their creativity and learned skills to their community.

Performances will feature works ranging from William Shakespeare to Maya Angelou and weave together the layered and complex moments of Black history through humor, reflection, resilience and critique. This year's performances of "Black Mosaic" will take place:

• Saturday, Feb. 14, at 2 p.m. - Martin Luther King Jr. Park (1950 Lemon Ave.)
• Thursday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m. - Doris Topsy-Elvord Community Center at Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.)
• Monday, Feb. 23, at 6 p.m. - Long Beach Senior Center (1150 E. 4th St.)

"Black Mosaic" is a community-centered performance initiative curated and directed by Dr. Melanie Curtis Andrews, a lifetime human rights advocate and co-founder of the former Inner City Shakespeare Company. This is the second year PRM has partnered with Dr. Andrews to host these community performances in recognition of Black History Month.

Over the past year, PRM's Partnerships Division collaborated with Dr. Andrews to establish the LB Performing Arts Collective, an effort to bring performing arts programming to underserved neighborhoods of Long Beach. The new arts initiative is dedicated to engaging diverse youth and community members in the performing arts through collaborative productions, mentorship and creative engagement.

"We are committed to offering quality and accessible youth programming within our parks and open spaces," said Stephen P. Scott, Director of Parks, Recreation and Marine. "The establishment of the LB Performing Arts Collective is an opportunity to expand our partnerships with local performing arts organizations to bring new, culturally relevant performing arts programming opportunities that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve."

"I am honored to continue my personal tradition of creating events for Black History Month, especially since this is the 100th year," said Dr. Andrews. "My play entertains and teaches - I am honored to work with such talented young artists, many of them Long Beach residents."

The LB Performing Arts Collective supports priorities of the department's Parks Make Long Beach Strategic Plan, including but not limited to: expanding arts and culture programming in parks across the city; increasing programming at parks in North, West and Central Long Beach; create spaces for community-led culturally specific programming with culturally marginalized groups; and connect with educational institutions and nonprofits to expand programming. For more information about the LB Performing Arts Collective, people may email [email protected].

Discover PRM's full lineup of parks, facilities, programs and services available for the Long Beach community at LBParks.org.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. More information about the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine is available at LBParks.org and on Facebook and Instagram.

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