Category: Events

United States – Afropunk Festival

The Afropunk Festival (commonly referred to as Afropunk or Afropunk Fest) is an annual arts festival that includes live music, film, fashion, and art produced by Black artists. The festival made its debut at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in 2005 and has since expanded to other parts of.. Read More…

United States – Essence Festival

The Essence Festival, known as “the party with a purpose”, is an annual music festival that started in 1995 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence, a magazine aimed primarily at African American women. It became the largest African American culture and music event in the.. Read More…

United States – First Black Cruise Experience, Festival at Sea

Founder of Blue World Travel Corp in 1978, Patricia Nicholson Yarbrough launched ‘Festival at Sea’ – Cruising with an African-American twist, in August 1992 which became the first cruise experience tailored to Black culture. Events such as an Electric Slide Freeze Competition, Bid Whist Tournament, and parties every night helped.. Read More…

United States – Odunde Festival

The annual Odunde Street Festival brings a genuine taste of Africa to South Street and one of Philadelphia’s oldest, historically African American neighborhoods. Odunde is a Yoruba word that means “Happy New Year.” Every year, the Odunde Festival draws vendors from not only America but from an array of African.. Read More…

United States – Harlem Cultural Festival, Black WoodStock

The Harlem Cultural Festival (also known as Black Woodstock) was a series of music concerts held in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City during the summer of 1969 to celebrate African American music and culture and to promote the continued politics of Black pride. Notable participants included Nina Simone, B.B. King,.. Read More…