Celebrating Afrocentric culture Celebrating Afrocentric culture (February 18, 2005)

Vendors, music at Mountain View fair

By Allison Gerard

The second annual Black History Month Faire on Feb. 27 offers both vendors and patrons an opportunity to celebrate Afrocentric culture.

"Every year I try and do something to celebrate Black History Month in the Mountain View community," said co-organizer Rosiland Bivings. "This fair is a good opportunity to see a variety of Afrocentric products such as books, videos, art and apparel that you really only see at this type of event."

The Mountain View Library Foundation is presenting the fair, which will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. at the Mountain View Community Center.

Last year's inaugural event hosted over 500 attendees and Bivings, who is board president of the foundation, said she expects more this year due to added publicity.

A local jazz group, the Cole Hamlan Trio, and Tony Lindsay, who is the former lead singer for Carlos Santana, will perform.

"The fair's going to have a festive atmosphere throughout the day, and it will give people an opportunity to celebrate Black History Month," Bivings said.

Among the vendors selling dolls, T-shirts, art and fragrances will be the library's display of books about African American heritage.

The event is co-sponsored by the city's human relations commission and the Wakerly Family Foundation, which was created by Voice founding editor Kate Wakerly.

"Diversity is one of the issues the city tries to promote, and hopefully, after attending the fair, people will see we have a genuine interest in that," Bivings said.

The Black History Month Faire is free and open to the public.

E-mail Allison Gerard at agerardmv-voice.com

Boys become men

The Oriki Theater's Rites of Passage program will culminate with a graduation ceremony at 10 a.m. on Feb. 26 at City Hall. The program, "Boys will come, Men will return," is based on eight principles borrowed from traditional African rites-of-passage programs.

The ceremony will include the Passage Rites ritual and an African drumming presentation by Oriki's master drummer Tumani Onabiyi. State Assembly member Sally Lieber will present certificates of recognition to the graduates.

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