GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) -- The Grand Rapids Public Library is hosting several events in honor of Black History Month. The biggest event is the annual Taste of Soul Sunday Celebration, which the library has held for the past seven years.
"It gets bigger every year we have lines around the door waiting to get in. So the community has really embraced Taste of Soul Sunday as one of the premiere events during African American Heritage Month, said Kristen Kreuger-Corrado, spokesperson for Grand Rapids Public Library. "The library is truly the community gathering place. We want to bring together the community to celebrate African American culture and this is the best way we know how."
The event will have speakers, history presentations, crafts and activities for children as well as live entertainment. Three area restaurants are bringing in food samplings, and musical performances from jazz, blues, contemporary and other artists.
"We have wonderful music performances from musicians like Edye Evans Hyde, The North American Choral Company. We have a funk group and we always end Taste of Soul Sunday with a gospel performance," said Kreuger-Corrado.
She says the library encourages people to come visit throughout the month of February to learn more about and acknowledge the contributions African-Americans have made to this community and country.
"We have of course tremendous archives of Grand Rapids history here at the main library. So, throughout the year we are always encouraging people to use that and explore different aspects of Grand Rapids and West Michigan history," she said. "We are all one tremendous community and there are so many different cultures that make it up and it is so great to explore all of them."
The Taste of Soul Sunday Celebration is February 19th from 1pm until 4pm. For more information on it and other events visit the library's website at http://www.grpl.org/tasteofsoul/